Pluperfect

A cool crisp spring evening, as I follow the dog out for her final ambulation. Shades of the setting sun linger on the western horizon, with red Mars perched just above and Ursus major arching overhead but they only set the stage. For comet Hale-Bopp is the feature, white head and streaming tail bright against the moonless sky. I haul my wife and kids from bedtime stories to witness the splendor as close to perfect as we can reach. Later that night, she comes to bed warm from her bath we kiss lightly, then deeply suspended in sensation as familiar rhythms resume. Later, satiated, we linger coupled to the moment as close to perfect as we can reach. 1) Dave Rodgers, A Night Sky, March 27, 2013 (revised form earlier jottings) 2) For those who don't remember there is a stunning pic http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Comet-Hale-Bopp-29-03-1997_hires_adj.jpg