Illusions delusions

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Tue, 01 Apr 2025
  • 39 reads
3 comments
 

Never stare at the sun itself, but,
look!
at the photo* someone took  – see
the aeroplane ski
across the sun –
how could it be?
and oh, what a sight! –
the moon has taken a bite
out of the sun’s fiery sphere.
Has it got too hot? or not –
just sliding, to cover, a shade –
but has not stayed.

Our eyes do not perceive
(thus easily deceive)
the millions of miles between
the objects they have seen!

*The image is not the photo concerned which I saw on the BBC news site, but my own reconstruction with clipart.

Certificate U
Poem
For children
Surreal
Children's
Humour

Comments

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Great poem! All I can say is the Spitfires were trained to come from the Sun, blinding the Messerschmidt pilots and also only to open fire only when they see the whites of their eyes.

Your finest hour! How's that for nostalgia! Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Tom. Bit of fun from thinking about comments one sees about eclipses and thinking about the illusions photos can seem to show.

War is very uncomfortable and sad, but needful sadly when there is aggression. I grew up on a lot of Biggles books, and remember his holding his widespread fingers up to shield the sun's brilliance when it was in his eyes when flying, and finding that a useful tip sometimes when driving westwards in the evening! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

The sun from directly in front it can be very dangerous to drive westwards in the evening, best is pull off a while for the sun to go down, but we are always in such a hurry. I think it should be taken into account when designing roads.

Yes, and think of Moses. That must have been bright!

All the bestl ! Tom