Who saw farther in the dark?

I maybe shared this photo from two weekends ago, but I love the pinprick moon.

Who saw farther in the dark?

The Hubble? Joan of Arc?
Prophecy’s milky nebula
through a lens parade.
Interpretative dance to make
heavens' new names.

First, there was an ear,
an eye, then the long, penetrating gaze.

Galileo, kneeling, angled his creation —
posed between proposal and a prayer.

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Reflections are brief today! I’ve been thinking about seeing vs hearing, synesthesia and alternative modes of perception (prophecy, photography). The image of Galileo really tied it all together for me. I think it’s the physicality of angling to look at something and how looking through a telescope requires you to get lower than the lens. It reminds me of a lyric from U2’s Mysterious Ways, “if you want to kiss the sky/ better learn how to kneel”. The interpretative dance part also suggests the role of meaning-making in perceiving.

Thanks for reading.