Right to the Night
I remember black night skies
As a child I'd feast my eager eyes
On the universe as it appeared
With profound amazement I would veer
Far beyond my earthly sphere
It was fun to contemplate
Precisely what would be my fate
How was I to know back then
My favorite pastime would soon end
What thief, you ask, took away the night
Who would have the power to dim stars so bright
If you said impossible, I'd say, quite right
But, alas, a thief did steal the night
Stole it surreptitiously
Worked at it quite steadily
Almost went unnoticed, you see
Until one day I happened to be
On a highway that was being built
I looked up and saw lights on giant stilts
It was then it finally dawned on me
Why I could no longer see
My way past earth to eternity
Fools, thieves, I began to shout
You have no right to blot it out
To my surprise a chorus chimed in
Of people who remembered when
Black night skies were lit by suns
We will not wait to go on vacation
To view the stars from another location
We demand you give back our right to the night
And we promise to never give up the fight
Nostalgically we remembered when
A street light was a welcomed friend
The bulb beneath the scalloped shade
Cast useful light that would never fade
The bright stars in the sky above
Those were the fixtures that we loved
Now sodium vapor spots
Shine down on all the parking lots
Homes, highways, schools and parks
No one can escape the hot
Glare of the relentless yellow light
Oh please give back the peace of night
For those who don't mind paying the fee
For all of the electricity
For those of you who still believe
Lighting the night will deter the thieves
The joke is on you, plain as can be
Bright lights only help thieves to see
For those guilty of stealing the night
This is what shall be your plight
You must live, work, eat and sleep
Under bright yellow lights a hundred feet deep
For those of us who yearn to see
Our way past earth to eternity
Take this pledge here and now
Hand over heart, just say, I vow
To fight the light that pollutes the night
With determination until every constellation
Can be seen again with the naked eye
Until we take back the pure night sky
Karen Salvator
********************************************
And this in a separate box if you wish:
* Light responsibly and safely! See the stars again! You too can take a
bite out of light pollution!!
* Learn how at: <www.darksky.org>
* If you wish to discuss it with others concerned about quality of life
issues, including lighting pros and engineers, educators and astronomers
you could join the DarkSky-list.
* Join by sending email to: DarkSky-list-subscribe@egroups.com
--- Karolyn Beebe
--- 220 Merry St. Madison WI 53704
--- (608) 246-0222 keedos@earthlink.net