Originally published in Planet Magazine No. 22 (June 1999).
[Archive note: in the original issue this poem was presented only as the image above; its text is transcribed below.]
Tombaugh found an icy fleck,
uncatalogued, wandering
past stars upon the plates.
Champagne corks popped
with his announcement —
a ninth planet, Pluto,
God of Darkness
enthroned in ice.
New detectors,
chilled cold as Pluto,
resolved a moon from
the eccentric orb —
Charon, ferryman
across the gulf of space.
Pluto and Charon danced,
whirled together inside
mighty Neptune’s path.
After Clyde’s passing,
astronomers questioned
the iceball’s status,
a coup gained strength
to dethrone a God.
Kuiper Belt orphan,
Trans-Neptunian object —
taxonomies abounded.
While the count of worlds
’round other stars rose,
science debated
Sol’s straggling child.
A rift wide as Styx
divided astronomers.
Nine teetered near Eight,
blasphemy to most.
Evidence was weighed,
mortals cast the vote
restoring Pluto’s crown.
Last night before bed
I spoke nine planet’s names,
drifted off, dreamt we found
a tenth before the dawn.
Poem copyright © 1999 by Scott Speck-Lesh
Artwork copyright © 1999 Nicola Stratford http://www.blueball.com.au/wow
