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Michael Simms: The Great Conjunction
December 21, 2020 It is the night of the Great Conjunction, Jupiter and Saturn merging in the sky forming the Christmas Star, and also it is the Winter Solstice. I think of Wise Men following their star, and our ancestors building bonfires to tempt the Sun to warm the fields. I think of the sun rising between ancient standing stones, and Persians gathering for Yaldā Night to eat pomegranates and recite the poems of Hafez. In America, we have been in quarantine six months, seeing almost no one as the days darken. It is the birthday of my sister, my beautiful sister Elizabeth who killed herself thirteen years ago. A conjunction of darknesses… the night lit by a single star which isn’t a star at all but two giant globes of ice -- they’ll have to do. Great Jupiter, King of Cosmic Law, Saturn, Bringer of Prosperity, where are You now in our godless country ruled by liars and thieves cheered by a chorus of fools?
Michael Simms is the founder and editor of Vox Populi. His newest collection of poetry is American Ash (Ragged Sky, 2020).
Copyright 2020 Michael Simms
Vox Populi 
Sadly we missed the conjunction here in the North East due to heavy fog and snow but it seems as though weather always obliterates anything in our skies. Loved your historic poem and hope you do not mind reading mine along a similar theme:
Winter solstice 2020
among these trees shower
shadows
are dreams of long
ago
journeys undecided
once had a slow-down
coffee
stains and rings a
record
in wood grains heart
with endeavors to re-
make
myself worthy tell
you
your serpent’s got it wrong
selling winter apples
in
the rain forest of
your
petulant heart
Russell Buker 12/20/2020
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Thanks for posting this poem, Russell!
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Black comedy.
A world standing on its head.
Beautiful.
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Thanks, Saleh!
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Dear Michael, A chorus of fools indeed. Great poem! Thanks for sharing. Charlie
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Thanks, Charlie!
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Such an evocative and powerful poem Mike!
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What a powerful poem, Michael!
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Beautiful Mike! My sister Naficeh was born on this night too . I talked to her, who lives in Isfahan on the phone last night.May the memory of your sister be alive. warmly, Majid
“And yet it does turn!” Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
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Thank you, Majid. I thought of you when I wrote the lines about Hafez.
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