Kevin Hartnett Poetry

The Tadpole Swims Within His Hands

Photo credit: NASA, ESA, and the ACS Science Team

O what grand celestial might

The Tadpole sweeps across the night!

Yet this cosmic truth still stands:

The Tadpole swims within His hands.

-- K. Hartnett, July, 2002

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and marked off the heavens with a span…Behold the nations are like a drop from a bucket. (Isaiah 40:12;15)

The Tadpole Galaxy - One in a Teeming Universe

Otherwise known by the dull name UGC 10214, this spectacular celestial object was one of the first to be imaged by the Advanced Camera for Surveys- a new instrument installed by astronauts into the Hubble Space Telescope in the Spring of 2002.  The “tail” of the tadpole is evidently gas, stars and dust pulled away from the body of the galaxy by the gravitational interaction of another galaxy nearby.  Computer simulations of such encounters have shown that complex arcs and distorted galactic shapes are quite to be expected.  More remarkable than the “tail” however, is the large number of background galaxies that appear in this one relatively-short exposure- more than 6000!  The area of the sky imaged in this photo is no more than the size of Lincoln’s eye on a penny held at arm’s length!

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. (Psalm 96:5)

Psalm 19 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God.  This pronouncement directly applies to many qualities of the celestial realm- such as  its beauty, majesty, and power.  One special aspect of this revelation  however, is that the Lord Almighty is infinite. Our brains quickly “blow fuses” as we try to contemplate the vastness of outer space.  Traveling at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to cross our galaxy alone.  There are literally billions of galaxies in the universe, as far in every direction as the most powerful telescopes can see.  If the nations are to the Lord as a drop in a bucket or as dust on the scales, so too are the sum of all the galactic systems in creation- finite as they are- to Him, the infinite One. 

Can It Be?

Photo by Kevin Hartnett

Can it be that daily You
Return upon me smiling?
I would hardly look for You
Until the darkness falling
Caused an anxious glance to find
Your face, so reassuring;
Ever watching over me,
Thy grace, my soul securing.

-- K. Hartnett, May 1997

I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips…Like the Moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the sky. (Psalm 89: 34, 37)

The Moon - a Faithful Witness

As surely as the earth spins daily on its axis, our celestial companion, the Moon, appears some time overhead during each 24-hour period.  In the few days of the month we call  “new moon,”  it is located in the sky near the sun and so generally cannot be seen.  The heavenly bodies were expressly given by God to mark out signs, seasons, days and years.  Without them, the very concepts of “day,”  “week,”  “month,” and “year” are meaningless.  It is an interesting fact that our modern days of the week are named after the seven brightest celestial objects.  The earth is unique among the inner planets in its possession of a large moon.  Scientists are now beginning to appreciate more fully its stabilizing effect on the earth’s own orbital motions, and the protection it affords our globe from collision with passing asteroids and comets.  Seeing the moon should cause us to remember the wisdom, kindness, and faithfulness of God.

Let the heavens praise Thy wonders, O Lord, Thy faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! (Psalm 89:5)

In this poem, I’ve used the Moon to illustrate the idea that God is watching over us all the time even when we don’t know it and can’t see Him.  This is the promise He makes to those who love Him- those who have embraced the gracious sacrifice of His own Son as a payment for their sins.  As the teachings of Jesus and His disciples make clear, there is no other way to “get right” with God.  It is amazing that God- too holy to ever tolerate sin in His presence- provides us any way at all to be reconciled with Him! God’s solution for us is provided by His grace, as a gift, not as something we earn.  Jesus freely paid for our sins so that we can go to heaven- otherwise no one can. This is the ultimate meaning of the line in the poem, “Thy grace, my soul securing.” Our part is to believe, receive, and turn from our previous lifestyle to live thankful lives to God.  Jesus taught that there is great rejoicing in heaven when even one sinner repents.  Think of the crescent moon as heaven’s smile on all those who do.

What, Oh Man, Now Do You Know?

Photo credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

See, oh man, His hand of might;

Study here His glories bright.

Can you summon half this show?

What, oh man, now do you know?

-- K. Hartnett, August 2002

Where were you when I laid the Earth's foundation?  Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!  Who stretched a measuring line across it?  Do you know the laws of the heavens?  Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?  (Job 38: 4,5,33)

The And Nebula - Much to Explain

Named because its shape  resembles the head and thorax of a common garden ant, (as viewed from small, ground-based telescopes) this amazing object defies as easy an astronomical explanation of its nature.  Most scientists agree that the central star of this nebula is near the end of its normal lifetime.  Stars are immense and extremely complex energy sources with strong magnetic and gravitational fields. Nuclear fusion at their cores produce expanding pressures that are marvelously balanced by the weight of the overlying gas layers.  As the ratio of fuel to fuel-products in a star changes over time, mathematical models predict situations can exist that alternately cause the star to implode or explode.  Sometimes stars apparently blow off their outer layers, collapse and then live to explode again.   In the case of the Ant Nebula (also known as Menzel 3) multiple out gassings have produced a very complex structure.  The reason for its overall bi-polar shape is not yet understood.

He who teaches man knowledge- the Lord- knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. (Psalm 94:10,11)

The scripture verses cited above from the book of Job are only a few from this much larger chapter of similar challenges from God to Job.  The basic message of the section is this: our wisdom and understanding cannot even begin to compare with God’s.  What astronomers thought they knew about the causes of planetary nebulae they now recognize as only a very small part of the complete picture.  This poem picks up the spirit of the challenge in Job 38 and applies it to man’s comprehension of these marvelous and mysterious celestial objects.

Do You Know the Order of the Planets?

Photo credit: Cassini Project; NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

 Do you know the order of the planets?
Can you tell the clockwork in their circling?

Neither has man fully seen creation

Centered on the glory of the Son.

-- K. Hartnett, March 2000

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Io Over Jupiter- a Different Perspective

This amazing image was taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft as it passed by Jupiter on its way to the planet Saturn.  Io is one of the four large “Galilean” moons of Jupiter, so named because they were discovered by Galileo in the early 17th century using the newly invented technology of his day- the telescope!  Galileo’s discovery demonstrated convincingly  that the earth was not the center of every astronomical body’s sphere of motion.  This was an important argument in persuading the scientific authorities of his day to accept that the Sun, not the Earth,  was indeed the center of the Solar System.  The scriptures make it very clear that all things in heaven and on earth are to be summed up in God’s glorious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  History is moving unalterably towards this culmination.  Does this perspective guide our living?

He is the image of the invisible God…For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,… all things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together…that in everything He might be preeminent. (Colossians 1:15-18)

Astronomers know now that the Sun is the center of the Solar System and that all the planets, including the Earth, move in great elliptically shaped orbits around it.  This was not man’s understanding for most of recorded history, however.  It wasn’t obvious at all from our perspective on Earth that the planets  moved along curved paths- indeed they seem to zigzag across the night sky from month to month.  This poem is a playful consideration of what is real versus what is apparent.  One day we will see much more clearly how God’s central purpose to glorify His Son drives all of created history.

Though Men Refine Electric Lights

Photo by K. Hartnett

Though men refine electric lights
That dull their sensibility,

I'd rather learn from starry nights

In 'Wonder University."

-- K. Hartnett, February 1999

Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.  Full of splendor and majesty is His work...(Psalm 111:2,3)

The Summer Milky Way; a Lifetime of Wonders

Viewed out away from the glow of city lights, the majestic Milky Way stretches its glory from horizon to horizon.  This glow, produced by the combined light of the estimated 100 to 200 billion stars in our spiral-shaped galaxy, is bright enough to cast a shadow in a truly dark place.  The dark rifts in the light are caused by obscuring clouds of gas and dust, not by the absence of stars.  Hidden within this shimmering expanse are star clusters and nebulae of all shapes, colors and sizes.  Rich in beauty as well as scientific intrigue, the stellar members of our galaxy reveal physical qualities which are at the  extremes. Their temperatures, pressures, luminosities, and velocities- well beyond those reproducible in laboratories on earth- give us new insights into the laws of physics.  Recent efforts have been made in the courts to protect the night sky from the overpowering glow of city lights through the wise use of downward-directed lighting.

The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples behold His glory. (Psalm 97:6)

For about eight years during the 1990’s I gave lectures and organized others to speak at an informal educational forum called ‘Wonder University.’  In it we explored together the marvels of God’s world expressed through the intellectual disciplines of both the arts and the sciences.  Though grateful for the technological marvels that mark our generation, I’d much rather spend my time studying God-made wonders than man-made ones.  The amazingly rich natural realm has much to teach us about the truly wonderful nature of the God who created it.

Lesser Sphere of Darkest Space

Photo by K. Hartnett

"Lesser Sphere of darkest space,

Swing your mask across my face.

Note the startled humans glancing;

Fear they not the Day advancing?"

-- K. Hartnett, October 1997

Behold the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.  For…the Sun will be dark at its rising and the Moon will not shed its light.  (Isaiah 13:9,10)

Total Solar Eclipse; a Midday Spectacle

March 7, 1970, 1:34 pm. - a strange sensation falls over the countryside.  For three spectacular minutes the midday Sun is eclipsed by the Earth’s Moon and provides no more light than the full Moon itself at midnight.  The Moon is more than 400 times smaller in actual diameter than the Sun.  This is roughly the same proportion as a soccer ball is to a stadium.  In God’s providence, however, the much greater distance of the Sun makes it appear smaller so that the Moon’s sphere perfectly fits like a mask over the Sun’s face.  This view is very possibly unique among the Solar System planets and their moons.  Because of this perfect match, however, scientists have identified and studied the outer atmosphere of the Sun called the solar corona.  An understanding of this gaseous plasma may help in the prediction of climatic trends on Earth.

Immediately after the distress of those days, the Sun will be darkened, and the Moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.  At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky…(Matthew 24:29,30)

I got the idea for this poem around the time of Halloween, when masks meant to frighten or startle are everywhere in the stores.  In the poem, the Sun (the Greater Light) calls to the Moon (the Lesser Light) to act as a mask and hide its face from the startled observers below.  Whereas the temporary shadowing of the Sun by the Moon during a total solar eclipse should not be so much the cause for concern as for wonder, the book of Genesis makes clear that God created the celestial lights for signs, not just for calendars.  He used, for example, the starry skies to illustrate for Abraham how innumerable his descendents would be.  The Bible also speaks plainly about there being an eventual day of judgment by God of all men, marked by signs in the heavens.  To those who by faith are eagerly awaiting Him, this day will be one of unspeakable blessing, but to those who ignore or oppose Him, a day to be terrified.

Behold the Fleeting Meteor

Photo by K. Hartnett

Behold the fleeting meteor:

His life so short; his flame so bright.

He brings no second stroke to make

His mark against the fallen night.

-- K. Hartnett, January 2000

O Lord, make me to know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! (Psalm 39:4)

A Bright Meteor; Blazing Its Way to Splendor

A bright meteor slashes through the constellation of Cassiopeia.  Usually no larger than small pebbles, meteors, or "shooting stars," are tiny bits of interplanetary material that vaporize many miles up due to friction with the Earth's atmosphere.  Some of these particles are the out-gassed debris from comets.  Without our protective blanket of air, the planet Earth would be subject to continual bombardment from meteors and other dangers, such as ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.  During the 1999 Leonid meteors shower, amateur astronomers using telescopes equipped with video cameras captured the impact of several meteors into the airless surface of the Moon.  If a meteroid entering our atmosphere were large enough, a portion may survive its fiery descent and strike the earth.  Such stones, called meteorites, are found all over the earth- but are particularly visible when strewn across the cold wastelands of the Antarctic.

The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth He has given to the sons of men.  (Psalm 115:16)

This is one of my favorite short poems.  It speaks of the brevity of life and how we should make the most of our time - a fitting thought for the closing moments of this calendar year.  The poem also subtly paints the visual cadence of a meteor shower in words. Anyone who has taken the time to lay out under the stars and view a meteor shower knows that the "shooting stars" appear both singly and in spurts of two or three.  Each lasts about the time it takes for you to count to three.  Thus the rhythm of the poem in the words "life so short," and "flame so bright," along with "second stroke," "make his mark," and "fallen night" are all meant to imitate the 1-2-3, see-it-and-it's-gone experience one has while watching a meteor shower. 

The Stars I See Are Yesteryear's

Photo by K. Hartnett

The stars I see are yesteryear's,

Their glow, from flames of glory past.

And now my life, a light, appears;

How far will my effect be cast?

-- K. Hartnett, October 1997

There is one glory of the Sun, and another of the Moon, and another of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.  (1 Cor. 15:41)

The Pleiades; Jewels of the Winter Sky

Unquestionably the most famous galactic star cluster in the heavens, the Pleiades form a glittering group of six to ten closely spaced stars to the naked eye.  A pair of binoculars or a small telescope, however, reveals a view similar to the one here, with dozens of icy blue diamonds against a background of velvet black.  The Pleiades have been regarded with special esteem among all cultures since antiquity.  To the Greeks, they were the Seven Sisters; to medieval German farmers, a Hen and Her Chicks  To modern day Japanese they are known as the "Subaru" and are used as the logo of cars of the same name.  Although the reference is not positive, most Old Testament translations identify the Pleiades as one of the constellations mentioned in the book of Job as the Lord challenges the patriarch to explain His great power and understanding.

Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?  Can you loose the cords of Orion?  Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs?  Do you know the laws of the heavens?  Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?  (Job 38:31-33)

The starlight we see at night predates the present.  Due to the vast distances of interstellar space, the light now arriving for us to see left its fiery source many, many years ago.  In this poem, I compare our lives to the stars.  What effect are we having on the darkness around us?  How many generations that follow us will know our influence?

Tiny Flickers Overhead

Photo by K. Hartnett

Tiny flickers overhead,

Torches from a thousand ages,

Now at length your work is done,

In my heart, igniting praises.

K. Hartnett, August 1997

He counts the number of stars and gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4,5)

The Summer Milky Way; Stars Like Ocean Sands
Best seen from dark skies on late summer nights, the magnificent glowing band called the Milky Way stretches majestically from horizon to horizon.  This view shows some of the Milky Way north of the prominent constellation of Cygnus the Swan.  The band is actually comprised of a seemingly countless number of individual stars spread across the immense distances of outer space.  Astronomers estimate that some 100 to 200 billion stars populate the Milky Way Galaxy.  The bright star to the right in this photo is called Deneb, an ancient name meaning "tail" as it marks the tail of the Swan.  It is one of the most luminous stars in the sky.  Fully 60,000 times more luminous than the Sun, this star is estimated to be nearly 1600 light years distant (9.6 thousand trillion miles!)  If it were as close as the bright winter star Sirius, it would rival the full moon in brightness.  The red cloud next to Deneb is called the North American Nebula because of its distinctive shape 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving kindness toward those who fear Him. (Psalm 103:11)

Looking out into space is like looking into the past.  The light from the stars we see has been en route to us for tens, hundreds, even thousands of years.  Each travels a different length of time depending on the star's distance from us.  Of course stars are not really tiny flickers at all, but enormous globes of fire, hundreds of thousands of miles across.  They brilliantly illuminate like torches the otherwise jet black expanse of outer space.  This little poem celebrates the wonder of this reality, and the effect it has on me when rightly comprehended.

The Lesser Light Which Rules the Night

Photo by K. Hartnett

The Lesser Light, which rules the night,

Imparts to me this one decree:

"When I arise,"

"Consider me."

K. Hartnett, May 1997

And God made...the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. (Genesis 1:14,16)

Total Lunar Eclipse - Shadows in Deep Space

With a colorful, dramatic flair, the full Moon emerges from the Earth's shadow at the concludions of a total lunar eclipse.  Created by God to "rule the night," the Moon has figured prominently in the history of man.  It has affected calendars, milary engagements, literature, and seafaring.  The Moon's gravity is responsible for the daily ebb and flow of the ocean's tides, which in turn affect many species of plants and animals.  The Moon's beautiful copper color in this photo is caused by sunlight bent around the earth by its atmosphere.  The shorter blue wavelengths are more easily scattered, whil the red tints pass though.  This same phenomenon causes our red sunrises and sunsets. 

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the Moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for Him?  (Psalm 8:3,4)

I'm generally in the habit of looking up when I'm outdoors.  I guess it's a reflex that all amateur astronomers develop.  One's either looking for the stars if it's dark, or judging whether the clouds are gathering or dispersing during the day.

There's a second, unmistakable viewing urge I find at work in myself, however, and that is to find the Moon if it's overhead somewhere.  This little verse is simply my poetic way of acknowledging the authority that the Moon seems to exercise over me.  When the Moon's in the sky, I'm compelled to find her- and consider her.