Exoplanet

 Astronomers discover a new star: Trappist-1 
 and its seven planets--b through h
  
 I’m relieved to know there’s hope for me,
 that a Goldilocks character might inhabit 
  
 another world. Some water is likely there,
 not frozen but free to slide down mountains
  
 and glimmer off the starset, life as I
 would want it--warm enough to be nurtured,
  
 strong enough to survive meteor rain, asteroids--
 while I wait for the right eon
  
 to be invited to live there and love
 a body called d, e or f--it’s hard to see on Earth,
  
 40 light years away from Aquarius.
 But I’m patient. 
  
 I’ll flip through the planets,
 focus the telescope and hold my breath
  
 for the fly-by of your light 
 to reach me.
  
  
  
  
 (first published in Heron Tree, 2017)