Galileo

Man and feather from Pisa may fall same Yet higher than Pisa's leaning fault, time Defying gravity honors your name And I disdainful of vital ooze, chime The coming of the beast, the invention Of your kind. I hail the focus of mind That turned the heavens around the station Of the sun, and made the West Bible blind Straying from their own interpretation. Indeed you proclaimed on sight, but Newton What he could not see, followed your action Inventing causes for effect, the sun Cannot fall like feather or man, instead Upheld, by the uninvented and dread. ii So once the heavens to criticism jarred By the magnified reflection of light The hand of God upon creation marred Set you apart to make the gospel right By twisting nature too, and both you claimed Wrinkled by interpretation now quails And you embellished, rise still bold, untamed Reason replacing faith in the blind sails. Yet something human brings me to your throne And make me laud even errors explained, And mind that God at Babel fain condoned. What bright acolytes pant now in your train To move not only sky, but God away By man Enlightened who shall yet decay