Mercury…Venus…Earth...
Reciting names
Of the planets
Sparked curiosity
Field trips to 
The planetarium
Came next in
The order of things
Sitting quietly 
In the dark space
Stars on the ceiling
Mars…Jupiter...
Even better, clear nights
Lying on the driveway
Watching and waiting 
Hoping to spot just one
Star shooting across the sky
I saw one the night my grandma died
Another step in
The order of things
Saturn…Uranus...
A late-night walk-
Kids in tow-
In the middle of
A familiar field
To a wooden platform
Moons of Jupiter
Rings of Saturn
Visible thru the lens
Of my Uncle's telescope-
Ever seen a star cluster? No
Look through the telescope.
See that hazy-looking area? Yes
Stare at it-stare through it-
Millions of stars
Instantly in view
Bound to each other by gravity
Neptune…Pluto...
Reciting names
Of the planets
Culminated in staring
At the night sky
Our family
Held together by
The gravity of stars