What creatures dream?

Close-up of M17 by the Hubble Space Telescope

 

What creatures dream?

 

     "...Breathe in the possibilities..."

 

What creatures dream on other worlds?

On planets born where matter swirls

With multi-moons and triple suns

With days like months and seasons none

 

What poetry and science there?

On lands most hot, where winds are rare

In frigid seas of nitrogen

When stars exhaust their hydrogen

 

And what, then, their philosophy?

With water a great rarity

When lava flows in fire falls

When life but lives in cavern halls

 

And what of worlds beyond our ken?

Existence with dimension ten

When time’s dimensions number two

Fate both before and after you

 

What poetry might be, my friend

On the sad worlds where time does end

With space dimensions less than three

Where physics can’t support a tree

 

Can you imagine such a world?

That chance into existence hurled

And though these worlds beyond me be

I prize their possibility

 

Do creatures dream on other worlds?

I think it so, when thoughts unfurl

And gazing up into the sky

It's awe of life that draws my sigh

 

 

 

©2008, Richard Puetter

All rights reserved

Featured in the online magazine "People Are Amazing", May 27, 2015--see http://people-are-amazing.com/what-creatures-dream/.

Author's Note

Dear Readers,

This poem, "What creatures dream", and me, the author, were featured on the on-line magazine "People Are Amazing" in June of 2015. Below is the article that appeared with the poem.

My best regards,

Rick

----- Magazine Article -----

This week I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with author and professional astronomer Richard Puetter. Richard, who was introduced to poetry at a young age by his father, admits that as he grew up, the fascinations with science and mathematics outstripped his ambitions as a writer, but in later years, as he sought to publish chapters of a fantasy novel he was working on, the lure of poetry was once again reinvigorated.

To me, Richard is a fascinating writer. He sees beyond a work’s potential to move people, and understands it’s potential to communicate. “While most poets would quickly agree that emotion is the fundamental part of writing poetry (and this is probably the motivation behind poetic writing), poetry itself speaks to the mind. It is language. If done properly it is the highest form of communication. But it is different than music or painting, for example. Those arts talk more directly to the pure emotional part of us. But poetry hits us without the need for sound and without visual input. It speaks to our minds, and the intellect then fires up the emotional being inside of us.”

Richard goes on to explain, “That is why unlike lots of other poets, I like to write pieces that are chock-full of facts, and in many of my pieces you’ll find pages of footnotes. I think this can fire up the mind all on its own, and then the poetic work can be seen on a broader canvas, which increases the emotional potential."

I like to think of Richard as a purist, a perfectionist, someone that’s always tinkering, perfecting, adapting. His writing is alive and evolving continuously as he grows, learns, reconsiders. Indeed he would tell you himself, “I think a poem is living art. It only is finished, at least for me, when the poet dies.” While I was talking with him, he pointed me to a quote attributed to noble laureate physicist Feyman.

“I have a friend who’s an artist, and has sometimes taken a view which I don’t agree with very well. He’ll hold up a flower and say “look how beautiful it is,” and I’ll agree. Then he says “I as an artist can see how beautiful this is, but you as a scientist take this all apart and it becomes a dull thing,” and I think that he’s kind of nutty. First of all, the beauty that he sees is available to other people, and to me too, I believe. Although I may not be quite as refined aesthetically as he is … I can appreciate the beauty of a flower. At the same time, I see much more about the flower than he sees. I could imagine the cells in there, the complicated actions inside, which also have a beauty. I mean it’s not just beauty at this dimension, at one centimetre; there’s also beauty at smaller dimensions, the inner structure, also the processes. The fact that the colours in the flower evolved in order to attract insects to pollinate it, is interesting; it means that insects can see the colour. It adds a question: does this aesthetic sense also exist in the lower forms? Why is it aesthetic? All kinds of interesting questions which the science knowledge only adds to the excitement, the mystery and the awe of a flower. It only adds. I don’t understand how it subtracts.”

This is the wonderful ability that Richard possess. He can see beyond the words of his poetry and communicate through his writing effectively and efficiently. He is able to write with inspiration in his words, inspiration that might awaken the hungry mind of a young reader to question the universe in which he or she lives. It is the ability to prompt the reader to ponder the presented facts, to mull over the concepts and ideas that lie within the writing. Richard’s ability to channel his own curiosity and share it with his readers is masterful and refreshing. It is the prime reason that I find myself fascinated and enchanted by his work, and am so excited to share it with our readers.

Richard Puetter is a prolific writer, not only of poetry, but of a whole array of stories, novels and books that will enthral and enchant you. If you’d like to know any more about Richard Puetter or follow him online, please use the links provided below.

Reviews

[Emily Rose]

I exist! And I really like this - it's great to ponder the existence of other worlds and other creatures on those worlds, especially for one so informed about science as yourself. Your knowledge really carries into your poetry!

I have some little things, of course. In your second stanza, "What poetry and science there" makes sense, but it's still a little unclear. Why not "is poetry and science there?" It would add a verb to the line, plus it makes it sound a bit more inquisitive. I would recommend a similar fix in the first line of the third stanza - "what, then, their philosophy" sounds a little more archaic than I think the tone really supports, so I would recommend "And what is their philosophy?" or "Do they know philosophy?" or something equally as inquisitive. Starting off with verbs, even if they aren't particularly strong verbs, is a great way to bring more clarity and focus to a line. I find the fifth stanza a little confusing as well; I think it's the question mark the throws me off, since it implies that I new idea is being started in the next line, when it's much more clear to read the lines together: "What poetry might be, my friend, in the sad worlds where time does end, with space demensions less than three, where physics cannot hold a tree?" (I must say, too, that the "physics cannot hold a tree" line strikes me as slightly out of place and more there for the sake of the rhyme scheme than anything else. I can see what you're doing with it; a tree couldn't very well exist in a two-demensional world, but even so, it seems a little random after you're talking about such a heavy subject as the destruction of time.)

The last stanza is wonderful, by the way, although (and I'm sure you knew I'd say this) I think adding more punctuation to the poem in general would make it much clearer. It's your choice, though. Well done as usual, Rick!

[Kristina Moulaison]

This is a wondrous question. I like the way you think.

[Sound]

Very beautifully written. It's something everyone must wonder from time to time. With the vastness of the sky up above us, it's hard not to.

[Onyx Sky]

This is very beautiful and flows very well. It's a bit surreal and I like that quality in this piece. Well done!

[Kaitlin W. Blaylock]

Wonderful message. I agree completely. Who knows what lies in the vastness of the universe? It is conceited to think that Earth is the only planet with so-called intelligent life forms. There are theories of other solar systems in other parts of the universe...I believe it. This, for me, was a validation of the questions I've often asked. Though this provided no answers, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who considers the possibilties of the multiple wonders in space. Thank you.

[The Thracian]

I like the little scheme you have going here. It's very simplistic and, oft invisible to somebody unaware of such eccentricities.... Which is where I assume the bigger flaw of this piece comes out. Your first strophe isn't too afflicted with this cumbersome fact, but your second does suffer greatly. Your first verse just, and take a step back to read it... forget that it is poetry, forget that it is artistic and metaphorical... It is, lacking to say the least. My best suggestion would be to drop the there, but the conflicts with your rhyme.. but I think the 'of' is almost essential to the verse either way (after the what, of course). Also, I think this might help your second verse:

On lands most[ly] hot, []winds are rare

I think this would also work well with the next line since you're talking about seas frozen over, which means not all of the planet is hot. The only real sacrifice is the amplitude of the heat, or the suggestion of a great one.

Here's something interesting, why do you have the 'And' begin stanzas three and four, but not two? I think, in the case of stanza three for now, that the syllable could be put to better use. You might think that taking away the and might create incoherency as far as transition goes, but I think having 'And' and following it when 'then' creates a redundant, apparently contrived transition. You could start it as 'What then of their philosophy?' And keep to the of thing you got going, or go with 'What then is their philosophy?' I also think in the second verse of stanza three that 'a great rarity' sounds smoother or more clearly than 'in great rarity' which makes me think you were thinking 'in great demand.' Also, I believe this would be more effective for the final verse: 'When life lives in cavernous halls' Or perhaps 'Life but lives in cavernous halls'

I think you get the gist of my nit-picks. They're mostly opinion, and personal fancy I guess. I like this piece because it is something I would expect my child to read and when done, to look up at the sky for even the slightest whim to think 'What if?' It is the power of curiosity adults all too often forget, being so caught up in the wasting quagmires of society, and too disconnected from their real environment to bother to notice anymore.

I think it an amazing feat that you still hold on to that... immaculate? maybe not the right word - it would suggest that science is right in a world with no rights or wrongs - but none the less a word to describe this quality.

Yup. Still a good old sycophant, I am!

See you 'round M. Scientist.

[Lalli]

Rick, I love it!!!

Understanding ur knowledge and passion for the universe and its studies you have captured this idea beautifully!...

I have actually concieved this notion several times but have yet been able to write it. The idea of worlds and life or existance beyond our comprhension. The possibilities are endless.

Your ryhme and word choice were perfect and questions posed effectivly.

I now thirst more to quench these curious thoughts.


Its also a nice change of pace for you "the historian". As they say variety is the spice of life

Much love n' respect


-Lalli

[East of Eden]

wondrous. i loved it!

[SJ Roebling]

What vivid pictures this poem brings to mind. Truly made me think about life outside of Planet Earth. This is an excellent work. I loved the way you ended it. Perfection!