Missing Pluto

Crowing glory glory, we expected

to float back all together,

even raced to be first 

to ford the asteroid riffle.

Like children reaching in glee 

fingers and arms wide as rice paddies, 

we listened for star song 

to pour in like liquid sky

off the tongues of distant galaxies- 

but we lost Pluto – even before 

their chorus reached us; certainly

before we could ask the IAU 

to reconsider defining planet; 

and particularly before we could implore

#134340  to bring its moon home,

and to argue  that turning in a slow whirl

like a dervish around the sun
is better than flying wild 

with legs hugging the icy braid

of comet tails.

But they don't hear us,
they're already three billion miles

gone and outside we notice
the stars have never been so bright.