Vistas

Catherine McGuire

Thierry Cohen told the New York Times, that he wants to show the detached urbanite the stars “to help him dream again.”

These great cities, unlit; vast starfields sparkle
over dark square-toothed horizons.
The sky intense, commanding. 
A power-outage scene; the only light, above.
You could fall up
into these depths.

This is how it was when they were swamps,
deserts or rippling grass, even small towns.
How it still is in a few precious places.

In this photographer’s illusion,
forgotten realities exist again on the page,
past and present blended, vivid.

This could be our future
for those who yearn to see.
Squares of light wink off.
Dots of ancient light bloom.

The Science

In the epigraph to this poem, the photographer Thierry Cohen attempts to recreate the profound experience of the stars that our ancestors had – an opportunity which is rapidly fading due to the ubiquity of light pollution in urban areas. Artificial light reshapes natural systems in ways that are often overlooked and are quietly devastating, including circadian rhythm disruptions and altered migration patterns. Global light pollution has increased by at least 49% from 1992 to 2017, and global nighttime light has had a net increase of 16% from 2014-2022. This poem laments these unrecognized losses and dares us to imagine a future where we can experience the majesty of the night sky unimpeded.

The Poet

Catherine McGuire is a writer and artist with a deep concern for our planet's future, with five decades of published poetry, six poetry chapbooks, a full-length poetry book, Elegy for the 21st Century, a Science Fiction novel, Lifeline and a book of short stories, The Dream Hunt and Other Tales. Find her at www.cathymcguire.com

Next poem: Where do you think it goes? by Tim Ellis