Phaiku No. 8

A look at final frontiers ...

As much as I love hearing Captain James T. Kirk declare it, I do not fathom “final” frontiers.

The final frontier on Earth is often said to be the far reaches of the ocean, while the cosmos is cast as the last horizon of the universe.

I think it’s too early to tell, but more importantly, I don’t see the utility of placing limits so early in our existence.

Before I offer my meditation on final frontiers, I’ll share thoughts by two more poetic thinkers.

Ocean – Rachel Carson

“To stand at the edge of the sea … is to have knowledge of things that are as eternal as any earthly life can be.”

Space – Carl Sagan

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

Author’s Note:

The ocean reminds us of what endures; the cosmos invites us toward what is yet to be. Between them lies the endless voyage.

A ‘Phaiku’ is meant to travel light with 17 syllables, but this one insisted on extra verses. If there’s no final frontier, why should there be a final syllable count?

Some horizons can’t be charted from one deck. Here, Phaiku No. 8 unfurls two views—Port and Starboard—to explore how the ocean’s depth and the cosmos’ expanse mirror each other, each beckoning with mysteries that refuse to end.

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Phaiku No. 8

Fathom

The same horizon, seen from the other deck, whispers a different tale.