As Jupiter reaches opposition—
when the giant of this solar system
lies between our blue marble and the sun—
I will look up at nightfall and track
its progress across the winter sky,
closer than ever to Earth,
bright as a star. And should I have
a telescope handy, as Galileo did,
I might be able to see the four
Galilean moons, named for
the Italian astronomer who
realized in 1610 that they orbit
Jupiter, not our planet, providing
solid evidence that, contrary to opinion,
everything is not Earth-centered.
That a narrow vision of control,
creating opposition where it
doesn’t need to exist,
is a human-centered fixation like
post-baptism bibles … plucked from
street corners from the meaty hands
of zealots, as a young poet wrote
six years ago, before her blood was
spilled on American pavement,
when she wondered if science
can coexist with faith and wonder.
As I continue to wonder and look
for evidence of what can and cannot
be easily seen on Earth
as it is in the heavens.
•••
(In memory of Renée Nicole Macklin Good, Oct. 7, 1980 – Jan. 7, 2026.
The words in italics are from her award-winning poem,
“On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs,” which can be read here.)
Güd wrtr 
Thank you for this, Jan! I saw it in the sky and felt it in my heart! I will be out protesting tomorrow in Colorado Springs. We do what we can and acknowledge the Universe. Love to all~ Connie
Thank you, Connie!
I read this poem while sitting between events at my granddaughter’s swim meet last night. Not the most inviting space for reading good poetry. I was enjoying your discussion of Jupiter. It was reading those words I’d recently read and shared in my little circle written by Renee Good that caught my complete attention…THANK YOU…you did honor to her words. I salute you.
Kathy Stilwell Thoughts Matter https://dailythoughtsmatter.blogspot.com
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Thank you so much for this, Kathy!