GEMINI

Dark night sky
pierced by light of stars above
of ancient described as zodiacal constellations
there, the third sign of the zodiac
lying between Cancer and Taurus
the constellation Gemini or Twins
with one of the Twins, Pollux
an orange giant some thirty-five light years away
as one of the twenty brightest stars
while Castor twin of Pollux a six star system
some fifty light years distant
places as one of the twenty-five brightest stars.

As Dioskouri, the Sons of Zeus and Leda
famous for their athletic abilities
were inseparable, adventuresome
becoming twin deities overcoming
great odds in various escapades
being rewarded with a Temple in the Forum
until Castor, a mortal was slain.
Pollux declining immortality was permitted
to remain with his brother by Zeus who
eventually transformed them into
the constellation Gemini.

Those of you born under
the third sign of the Zodiac
ruled by the planet Mercury
tend to be witty, erudite, clever,
of high intellect known for their verbosity,
placing great emphasis on learning;
surely composing poetry is a good example.

Oh, ancient days and ancient ways
still having impact in modern day
as our more recent Mercury 7
space program attests followed
later with the Gemini spacecraft
pioneering the Apollo mission to the moon.

Herbert Holzbauer
© June 2001

Midi: "The Long Journey Home"
Composer: Bjorn Lynne

Art: "Gemini"