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Transit of Venus
Heliocentric VII
He found reading something of substance similar to the art of meditation, a focus, a mantra of sorts that funneled his runaway thoughts and allowed his involvement with the world to slide by.
He was reading a book while on the subway, deeply engrossed in the story of two astronomers charting the transit of Venus — a rare event occurring when the planet passes between the earth and the Sun.
Yesterday he had looked it up and was in Awe at the NASA photo of the little black dot against the burning globe.
He also discovered that there had been two Transits of Venus during his lifetime but he hadn’t been paying attention, and that he wouldn’t be getting another chance unless he managed to live and remember to look up in another ninety-nine years.
As his stop approached, he replaced his bookmark, and closed the book.
As if to give him a somewhat more humble variation of the event, a tiny black beetle was making its way across one of the large letter O’s on the cover.
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© AleXander Hirka 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Heliocentric Redux 2019
Heliocentric. October 2018 writing project — one short sketch a day, under 250 words each, circling like a planet around The Sun.
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Tempest Tossed in New York City — writing and art and life in New York City.
