When he meticulously packs his new telescope keeping
one eye on the sky, effortlessly reversing roles,
lecturing on the bitter cold of a distant mountain,
the slow moving hours until perfect dark.
When it becomes clear that he is counting
on the world above to reveal himself,
explaining why we must drive for hours and
leave our lives far behind to capture starlight,
When the word Astronomy floats from his rosy lips
soothing my strained relationship with the planet.