In the cosmic dark with the veil of stars
a monument travels beyond our grasp.
Carrying with it all our hopes and dreams.
The epitome of technology.
Sent on a journey with no plan of return.
On a mission to study the vast unknown
armed with the instruments of science,
with an explosive launch it left our home.
Leaving behind all human pain.
Leaving behind our fervent hatreds.
Built not for war, but for research
A monument to the best of our nature
First passing by the system’s largest planet,
the multi colored bands gracing its atmosphere.
A massive red storm wreaks havoc,
while volcanoes erupt on a nearby moon.
The solar system’s jewel marks the second stop.
Nothing could compare with its intricate rings.
Light from the sun reflecting of the small particles
Illuminates it for the probe to see
The probe next met an anomaly.
An odd planet, pale and blue
with a 90 degree tilt and rings too.
There it discovered a vast unknown network of moons.
At the end of the journey the Sentinel awaited.
Looking on the probe witnesses its violent nature.
Seated in the deep blue lay, a dark storm,
as a fractured ring moves silently above.
Past the last planet the job was incomplete,
The probe turns to face where the voyage began
snapping a picture of its old home.
A picture that would give humans perspective.
All that could be seen was a pale blue dot.
No evidence of humans,
and no sign of what lie on that peculiar rock.
Of the sights it had seen, Earth was the least significant.
The insignificance of our tiny world,
the idea that we are not great
serves as a humbling reminder,
of the immensity and power of the cosmos.
The probe continued into space.
A constant source for inspiration.
Forever it will make its way through the cosmic dark.
The Voyager will outlast us all.
My name is Michael Romanowski and I come from the small town of Colorado. I currently attend Roosevelt High School while attending aims classes. Next year I will be attending Cornell University in Ithaca New York.