Ethereal Egg
Might it be a pool or wishing well
with rainbow ripples round it wound
within an enchanted cosmic dell
of a fabulous world newfound—
or perhaps a spacetime passageway
that tunnels through regions yonder
to place where poets come out to play
and dreamers can blithely wander?
It turns out that what we are seeing
in Hubble picture resplendent
is light from a central star fleeing
through gas and dust zones attendant,
to generate arcs of brilliant hue
via filters polarizing
that render some of the swaths in blue,
others green or red, comprising
this image of Egg Nebula shown
The star at center’s enshrouded
by layers of particles outflown,
though dual beams gleam through clouded
areas, hence illuminating
a structure of concentric rings
in fashioned portrait captivating,
which caused my fancies to take wings.
Nebula protoplanetary,
in Swan constellation it lies
with Cygnus the title primary,
discernible in northern skies.
The nucleus stellar that’s dying
could like chick pecking eggshell seem,
as it casts away mantles trying
to change to white dwarf in its scheme.
Dusty grains that the star’s expelling
manufactured within its core
may be future systems foretelling
from carbon ingredient store…
Eggs are vessels for many creatures
existing hither and thither,
with their multifaceted features,
some that walk, swim, fly, or slither.
Yet within this huge earthly array
of sentient beings great and small
the myriad flighted birds convey
humanity’s hopes best of all.
Numerous authors have been enthused
to rapturous lyrical heights
while they followed skyward paths and mused
on the soaring silvery sights.
With intricate trills the songs entreat,
of often spectacular art,
in lilting tones that can sound so sweet
as to lift the heaviest heart.
There are even birds of paradise
with species exquisite in skills
of most amazing displays precise
abounding in colorful thrills.
But getting back to the Egg on high
and how it might relate to us,
a sage with the wisdom to descry
what’s deep or shallow put it thus
with simile of being enclosed
in ignorance like binding shell
of delusion’s darkness as supposed,
holding mortals in thralldom’s spell
till beak of awakening breaks through
to a view of dimensions vast
in the sky of reality true
where we freely can fly at last…
~ Harley White
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Inspiration came from article and image 'Rainbow Image of the Egg Nebula' from Hubble…
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