Waxing Poetic: On Looking Up by Chance at the Constellations by Robert Frost

     Robert Frost (1874-1963) was an American poet who is known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech.  He received four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. 

    
     Frost was 86 when he spoke and performed a reading of his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy on January 20, 1961. When he climbed the stage at John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961, poet Robert Frost intended to read "Dedication," a poem he'd written for the occasion.  Famously, though, the glare from sunlight bouncing off the snow was too bright that day for Frost to read the words. So instead, the 86-year-old poet recited another of his poems, "The Gift Outright," from memory. 
     Here is one of his poems that seems appropriate for this Thanksgiving eve.

On Looking Up by Chance at the Constellations
 
You'll wait a long, long time for anything much
To happen in heaven beyond the floats of cloud
And the Northern Lights that run like tingling nerves.
The sun and moon get crossed, but they never touch,
Nor strike out fire from each other nor crash out loud.
The planets seem to interfere in their curves
But nothing ever happens, no harm is done.
We may as well go patiently on with our life,
And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun
For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.
It is true the longest drought will end in rain,
The longest peace in China will end in strife.
Still it wouldn't reward the watcher to stay awake
In hopes of seeing the calm of heaven break
On his particular time and personal sight.
That calm seems certainly safe to last to-night.