A History of our Home
by cricketjeff on March 23, 2011. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
A passing star disturbs the cloud and things began to spin
The mass becomes a maelstrom as more matter tumbles in
Some dust-specks stick together till the clump becomes a ball
Which grows into a boulder as more spots and speckles fall
Now gravity asserts herself and growth accelerates
The whole becoming hotter as the protostar inflates
Soon gases start condensing and the pressure runs away
Until the other forces find the strength to join the play
The transformation’s rapid, only takes a million years
As hydrogen starts burning the surrounding chaos clears
More balls are left in orbit they collide and move around
A battle or a ballet staged without a single sound
The closest and the smallest gets a beating from the sun
No chance for air and water so a visit won’t be fun
Then Venus looking pretty with sulphuric acid rain
Too hot for copper kettles means a walk would be a pain
A double system follows and we know it’s fit for life
From elephants to microbes and bananas sold by Fyffe
On Mars there once was water but her seas and streams are gone
No Moon to keep her heated so we better journey on
The asteroids are jumbled tossed by Jupiter’s great weight
She’s captured some as partners though each has a different fate
Past Saturn, who’s a beauty and Uranus on her side
We find cold lonely Neptune who is just too big to hide
The Kuiper belt and Oort clouds where ten billion comets lurk
To get out there and count them would be quite a job of work
Then miles of empty nothing where all matter’s out of place
Until the solar system fades to plain galactic space
English