Stephen Hawking

This scholar of night created chords of a symphony

a grinding curiosity appetite to quench, higher reality to see

swelling planets under colliding stars swinging, squishing, and expanding

serene violet garlands sparkling, spiraling into nothingness

unforgiving forces pushing and pulling

surrounding life in absence of life beyond reach, pride, or care

all the while, grows a blissfully unaware emptiness

for light years, light months, light days

renowned illusions unraveled in a vacuum

Hawking, witty spacetime scholar, you’ve left us with big black hole