Mortals lined up as time climbs slowly,
     reconciling lives past and future,
     awaiting the majestic.

Science against the wills of gods
     as the Moon traverses its
     dangerous route to totality.

Unfettered by the Sun's anger,
     Moon hiding its glory, Sun determined
     to burn away the dark.

In a moment -- the sacred cycle arrives,
     gnawed by squirrel, bitten by bear,
     as the Sun clumsily drops its torch.

Flaming arrows attempt to restart its fire,
     flung into the darkness of midday,
     rekindling the Sun's power o'er Earth.

Our ancestors--they knew this time,
     a moment feared, a moment awed, 
     souls mystified
     at the glory of our Milky Way.

*Written immediately before and after the total eclipse as viewed from my home in Southern Indiana, April 8, 2024. (Totality at 1509 hours EST.)