Edited by Dava Sobel
Let us stand outside our spacecraft
long enough at height high enough
to see Earth breathing its seasons,
to feel its pulses across years,
the rise and fall of global indices—
vegetation, water vapor, total rainfall,
snow cover, land surface temperature,
net radiation, sea surface temperature—
On supporting science journalism
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inhale, influx, diastole,
exhale, efflux, systole.
Is this macro of our microcosm
running a temperature?
Pulse growing more erratic?
Breathing more shallow?
How are we feeling?
How long can we stand
outside our spacecraft?
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