Saturday, November 2, 2013

A Heavenly Show

When we look into the night sky, we see an endless blanket of black
studded with stars and occasionally the moon, in beauty it doesn't lack
In big cities, it's obscured by clumps of debris and dust
invariably providing the sky with the dull color of rust
There are sparkling showers of fireworks on days like New Years Eve,
but with all the smoke and carried noise, we're a little reluctant to perceive
However, if you travel to the Arctic, in the north,
and focus entirely on the sky, not just a patch
you are likely to view nature's colorful display
without even needing to strike a match
Planet Earth has its very own fireworks display
but its so much more comforting and silent
these delightful shades are called 'Aurora Borealis'
and to our ears are so much less violent
The Sun, a fireball of heated gas, throws out particles from its surface
to prove its utmost strength and wrath
it's with so much force and energy- it turns into solar wind
and the Earth is usually right in its path
An Aurora at its most spectacular is created by this stream
eruptions, or solar flares, make it brighter than it seems
Contact with these particles- negative effects it will ultimately yield
but thankfully, we are protected by the Earth's atmospheric shield
But, some manage to break free and penetrate our atmosphere
and that's when you intuitively realize- the 'fireworks' are really here
When the molecules of atmospheric gases come in contact and then collide,
with the particles of the Sun, they emit breath-taking colors that glide
across the darkest of skies, giving out a haunting glow
and can turn the swallowing darkness into a dazzling light show
They create a truly mesmerizing pattern- rather like that of a curtain
in various shades of blue or green, the precise color's uncertain
By staring at them for under a minute, we're enthralled, hypnotized
and how disappointed we suddenly are at this gorgeous phenomenon's demise
About the Earth, there are quite a few topics about which we scarcely know
and this is definitely one of the lot- this entrancing, heavenly show

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