A Planet-ful of Diamonds

Somewhere beyond our imagination,

in the constellation of the crab,

light is coming from 40 years ago;

the light of another sun.

Around this star a planet is orbiting,

a sphere of diamonds and graphite.

Our descendents may make a carbon date

with destiny and bring home

riches in the holds of spaceships

built on Jupiter’s moons.

Or they may by-pass

55 Cancri e,

to search for meaning

and the centre of the universe,

instead of mining

arrangements of

carbon atoms.