A Speck on the Screen
An astronomy-inspired song
turns attention beyond the brightest lights.
Let the poem begin there,
without pretending to know
what any telescope has found.
Picture a screen almost black.
A few bright points announce themselves.
Between them, a smaller mark
waits without an announcement.
It might be worth another look.
That is enough for a beginning.
Not enough for a discovery.
The distinction need not drain
the wonder from the scene.
A question can be vivid
before its answer has a name.
It can gather patience around it,
ask for another observation,
make yesterday's easy explanation
less comfortable today.
In this imagined view,
the bright points remain bright.
Nothing needs to be dimmed
to make the small mark matter.
Attention is not a medal
that only one thing can wear.
The recent creative work keeps opening
new ways to ask:
a song can carry a question,
an image can leave room around it,
a record can preserve
how the question changed.
None must finish the others.
For now, keep the dark field visible.
Keep the small mark small.
Let curiosity move toward it
without dragging a conclusion behind.
There may be something there.
There is certainly
more to learn
than brightness alone can tell.
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