the universe
is not measured in space
but in time
the size of the universe
is not its expanse
but its age
distance is measured in years of light
though years without light are also counted
the number of light years from here to there
the number of dark years from there to here
the number of twilight centuries to somewhere
the number of eclipse minutes to anywhere else
thus the size of the universe
is not the space
between you and me
but the time
between you and me
the moments of light
the moments of dark
the moments of twilight
the moments of eclipse
sometimes your light
bent around me
only by its bending
acknowledging my orbit
sometimes i reflected your light
increasing the beauty of heaven
master moon that i am
but always
you were the star
i was the satellite
no binary solar system here
the yard stick of light
which keeps the time of the universe
measure for measure
does not plumb a black hole
that which is reckoned there
is more essential than light
and measure for measure
is more accurate
dark matter is what matters
it seems
without radiance
your gravitational pull
exerted influence
on my body
for a time
until the implosion was complete
and I was a single meteor flying
half frozen
half burning
across the constant night sky
the universe
is not measured in space
but in time
and we are measured
in moments
of light
of dark
of twilight
of eclipse
of emptiness
