Transfinite Induction

Keith Melton

For Don and Betsy

A tincture of twilight, a rose-colored wound
a dolorous sunset, bleeding into  
waddles of cloud, 

and suddenly, out of nowhere

a sandhill crane appears like a vision
a complete surprise, 
his wings so wide
his shadow, like a phantom in shades of blue.

Remembering the bird that flew in last year     
to stay the season in the shadow of power lines, 
strolling from yard to yard     
like a bird holy man, he adopted this piece of paradise for his own.

Then late one evening, gazing 
at lobelia-blue wedges of cloud that wink 
across the earth hours-
we spied our special neighbor rising to the star medals of the sky,

and spry as a patch of glimpse, gazing 
into the deepest darkest Africa of night, we learn 
sandhill cranes have appointments 
and rock pieces of planets in left behind worlds     

seem to know that buttons 
and cranks and orbs     
mimic the muscle of doe eyed stars; and creatures 
hang behind worlds at bay  

the backs of stars witnessing so many miracles.      
Unable to fly, 
the mind wingless, without science, 
imagination and the heart unsure, needing the Muse of God

in a telescope, the glass 
becoming our flagship, searching infinity
for His splendor
in a dark universe, our eyes turned to the light.

The Science

This poem was inspired by observations of stars and galaxies in space via a telescope and a sandhill crane great blue heron that visited our area and stayed on for a time. The connectivity of the natural and physical world to our heartfelt desires to explain our role in this infinite world of possibilities is explored. For more information on sandhill cranes please see here.

The Poet

Mr. Melton (he/him) is a graduate of The American University and Georgia Tech. His work has appeared in numerous publications including Amethyst, Agape Review, The Argyle, Big City Lit, Compass Rose, Confrontation, The Galway Review, The Lyric, The Miscellany, Monterey Poetry Review, Deep Overstock, WayWords, Pure Slush and others. He lives in Bluffton, SC.

Next poem: Transfinite Induction by Alex Gurevich