The Days of the Comet

Astronomers discovered the comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) in March 2022 at the Palomar Observatory in California. It has been visible to those in the Northern Hemisphere through binoculars for the past few weeks. But it will make its closest approach to Earth at around 41 million km (26 million miles) away this Wednesday 1st February 2023.

In the past, comets have often been seen as harbingers of doom. They portend evil days ahead, wars, plagues or even the end of the world. That's what is captured in this poem, which looks back at a Pagan society in which omens in the sky were taken seriously, and when animal sacrifice could be taken to abate the wrath of the gods. Temples and sacrifices to a pantheon of gods and goddesses abounded. Fortunately, these days, modern Pagans are more likely to be vegetarian., thank goodness!

The Days of the Comet

The comet comes for all mankind,
The starry, starry ways
The spectre of that sign in mind,
In that dark sky, there we find
In fearful reverence, gaze

In simple trust like theirs who heard
The calling now to flee
The endings of the wars by sword
Unsettled omens, untoward
A green hue now to see

The comet reflected in the sea
Shines on the hills above,
Priests in temples make their plea
In silence of eternity
They sacrifice a dove

With that deep hush subduing all
The sea to churn, and all to drown
The fearful cry of prophet’s call
The comet comes, the sky will fall
As shooting stars come down.

The day of the comet, the omen dire
Lamentations in a psalm
And sacrifices on the altar pyre
Now comes the earthquake, wind, and fire
And nevermore be calm