With every century
Our eyes on the universe have been opened anew
We are witness

To the very brink of time and space
We must ask ourselves
We who are so proud of our accomplishments

What is our place in the cosmic perspective of life?

The exploration of the cosmos

Is a voyage of self discovery
As long as there have been humans
We have searched for our place in the cosmos

Are there things about the universe
That will be forever beyond our grasp?
Are there things about the universe that are


One of the great revelations of space exploration
Is the image of the Earth finite and lonely

Bearing the entire human species
Through the oceans of space and time


Matter flows from place to place
And momentarily comes together to be you
Some people find that thought disturbing

I find the reality thrilling

As the ancient myth makers knew

We're children equally of the earth and the sky
In our tenure on this planet we've accumulated
Dangerous evolutionary baggage


We've also acquired compassion for others
Love for our children

And a great soaring passionate intelligence
The clear tools for our continued survival


We could be in the middle
Of an intergalactic conversation
And we wouldn't even know


We've begun at last
To wonder about our origins

Star stuff contemplating the stars
Tracing that long path


Our obligation to survive and flourish
Is owed not just to ourselves
But also to that cosmos

Ancient and vast from which we spring