the sky, the ocean, boundless depths
of precious gems, reflections of
lithe bodies, celestial, wisps of the milky way – a splotch
of starlight here, the rosy hue of a nebula there,
a darkness deeper than the night,
the drive to dive and feel
the sand in our fingers, the starlight sifting
through our hands,
pooling at our feet;
the urge to disturb these natural wonders,
to contain, to subjugate, to reach
places left unreachable;
to mark the stars with our treads,
to mar all perfect things.