John Stetson Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

Saturn has 293 confirmed moons in its orbit as of August 2026, far more than any other planet in our solar system. In March 2025, astronomers confirmed the discovery of 128 small moons around Saturn — quickly adding to the already large moon count.

Saturn's moons range in size, from one that is larger than the planet Mercury — the giant moon Titan — to others as small as a sports arena. The small moon Enceladus has a global ocean under a thick, icy shell. Scientists have identified both moons as high-priority science destinations for future deep-space missions.

Size Matters

At last count Saturn had 293 moons
One is larger than Mercury, 128 solar system M & M's

But, if somehow we could mount his wings and fly there
We couldn't stand upon the surface and gaze at any

We would sink in the miasma of our own demise
Ingesting vapor rising up from far below

Choking off any aesthetics we might hold
For any goddess that we have imagined

Our ticket to this underworld held over
A head that's thinking we should capture Titan

Artemis, Diana, or Selene might pale before them
But wouldn't pale by what's reflected there

Artemis retaining her ire and her vengeance 
Selene and Diana at the crossroads stand as well

Their color eclipsed the while they faded
And we, whose love it is to gaze up at their orbit

Would lose the inspiration of the ages
Aged without the grace of beauty's presence 

That our small world o'er time has thus afforded
Size matters...  but no more than our perspective

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