A poem inspired by Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 

Written by Zoe Carter 

Pinpricks of light wink back at me, 

the reflection of myself 

swirling in his eyes, 

blinding and bright against the black 

wide sky of the desert where we lay, 

empty cans cradling our curled bodies 

while the cool metal of the truck bed seeps through my thin shirt. 

Watching him is a skill to be learned, one I have perfected over years 

of meticulous dedication, carefully analyzing the scrunch of his nose, 

the draw of his brows and the twist of his mouth 

picking apart his body like a man desperate, 

hellbent on trying to understand mysteries he already knew 

Now, under the silver cast of the moon 

and the warm weight of a six-pack, 

he allows his eyes to soften 

and his lips to curl upwards, 

eyes open and searching the sky 

Laughter claws its way out of his throat 

as he points at a constellation 

making some stupid joke 

but all I can see is his hand 

long and 

strong 

and dark 

against the backdrop of the universe 

holding the stars in his palm 

And when I look at him he’s looking back. 

I see a nebula inside of his pupils 

what he sees in mine could be anything 

desperate pathetic and longing 

But he looks at me as a man 

looks at something precious, 

brilliant, shining and golden 

He leans into me and my body responds 

drawing towards him like I’m being 

sucked into a black hole of his creation 

thrown into a universe of our own 

where mysteries cease to exist 

along with everything else 

except for the taste of beer 

on his lips and the beat of 

my heart in my ears 

When we break apart I look 

into his eyes, dark as night and 

twice as bright and I find myself 

swimming in the reflection 

of our private cosmos 

the mysteries of our universe, 

stretched out and draped across 

the bed of his truck