It careens through space—
failed star, the astronomers say,
ancient and cold, they name it, The Accident
because they don’t understand
how compelled, it searches for the light it knows is there
invisible and beyond our perception, like dreams,
constant, like time, endless, eternal.
A quadrille for dVerse using the prompt word careen. I wondered what careened through space and found this article about “The Accident.”
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
I’m totally enamored by the brown dwarf now! 😍 I floated through this one with you!
Aww–thank you so much, Tricia. I feel like I want to give it a hug. 🤣
😆
Wow- the universe is truly amazing. Lovely poem Merril.
Thank you so much, Linda!
You’re welcome.
I love that idea of a failed star!
I felt sorry for it. Imagine failing as a star!
And to be called a brown star too!
Yes, poor star!
😦
“it searches for the light it knows is there”
Thank you.
Your poem perfectly captures what outer space is. (Or should I say, what I think outer space is! In the end, it is unknowable.)
So very true, Liz. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
I wonder why it appears as red?
I am smitten by your post….and actually feel sorry for this lost “accident” star. Wouldn’t this idea make a wonderful children’s book?
Thank you so much, Lillian!
I felt sorry for it, too. 😀 The photo isn’t of the star in my poem (I don’t think). It’s another brown dwarf star. I think it’s red in the photo because it’s an infrared light image.
Love this, and how I feel how much we might have misunderstood its purpose. True about some people too.
That is so true, Björn. Thank you!
I’m not good at explaining what I want to say about this piece… although I’ve tried explaining it to myself… but -essentially- even though it’s limited to 44 words, it feels much longer to me – very full of meaning.
❤
David
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response, David! I’m so glad it seemed full of meaning to you. 💙
I’m with David here– this is a very deep, rich, and evocative piece; it’s hard to zero in on just why it works so well.
Wow–thank you so much! 💙
This is absolutely mesmerizing, Merril! I especially love the reference to “the light it knows is there invisible and beyond our perception, like dreams, constant.”💝💝
Thank you so much, Sanaa! ❤️
It “works so well” because you are an excellent poet. It hooked me early, thinking that these brown dwarf stars must be different from red dwarf stars, and that what we can see is like a pea pod in the Amazon jungle, a one millionth of half of 1% of what we suspect the Cosmos actually is.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Glenn. Much appreciated!
Nice one
Thanks for dropping by to read mine
Much💛love
Thank you and you’re welcome!
Beautiful, Merril!
Thank you so much, Jill!
invisible and beyond our perception, like dreams,
constant, like time, endless, eternal.
It is fun to be presented with something mysterious, Merrill!
Hank
Thank you so much for your kind words, Hank!
Love the failed star and this line: it searches for the light it knows is there.
Thank you very much, Grace!
The universe contually defies our expectations. And your wors encompass the mystery. (K)
Thank you very much, Kerfe!
Thoroughly enjoyed this one Merril; sent a link to my sciency amigo & he wrote back that he already knew about it. News to me, so THANKS for creating such enchanting & engaging real-world stuff.
Thank you so much, Ron.! I’m so pleased you found my pome enchanting, and that you learned from it, too.
I love that you were inspired by this discovery. Poor thing…
Thank you very much, Dale.
I felt sorry for it. 😀
Poor wee thing!
Mysterious, and with a pull all its own, just like your poem, Merrill.
pax,
dora
Thank you very much, Dora! 💙
You’re very welcome!
Not sure how it can be called an accident. With all the knowledge and technology we don’t really have a clue of how things came to be. The searching for the light is poignant.
Thank you so much!
This is fascinating! I’d never heard of a brown dwarf before…
Thank you. I think I’d heard of brown dwarf stars, but not this particular one.
Nicely informative as well as poetic
Thank you, Derrick.
Ancient and cold … what an apt name for “The Accident” … this is a great quadrille!
Thank you so much, Helen!
I love this. ♥
Thank you so much!
Failed star by human standards! You captured its essence beautifully, Merril. 💙
Thank you very much! 💙
True enough, Merril. Dreams and time.. and maybe love… I like to think is endless.
Crazy, but that SDWFS J143524.44+335334.6, has as almost as many digits as your poem has words.
Thank you so much, Resa. 😀