Chapter Sixty One: Galactic Dynamics

Atheism is not a philosophy;

it is not even a view of the world;

it is simply an admission of the obvious.

In fact, "atheism" is a term that should not

even exist. No one needs to identify himself

as "non-astrologer" or a "non-alchemist."

We do not have words for people who doubt

that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have

traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers

and cattle. Atheism is nothing more than the

noises reasonable people make in the

presence of unjustified religious beliefs.

Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation

-o0o-

For the Earth itself is a blossom, she

says,

on the star tree,

pale with luminous

ocean leaves.

Rolf Jacobsen

-o0o-

What do you say to a warmongering emperor

who has conquered many worlds and

displaced thousands of refugees from their

homes in the process? Refugees that sought

asylum on Uhna. "It's uh . . ." I pause . . .

I can't say it's an honor to meet him when he

arrived at my world prepared to blast the

corruption away from armada, along with

anyone who happened to be in his way.

I focus on his positive traits and say,

"You have a nice beard! It looks

well-established. May I call you Caderyn?"

S.G. Blaise, True Teryn

-o0o-

She's a galaxy of bright hues,

and her heart contains

a universe of love.

She is starlight.

Melody Lee, Moon Gypsy

-o0o-

The near side of a galaxy is tens of thousands

of light-years closer to us than the far side;

thus we see the front as it was tens of thousands

of years before back. But typical events in

galactic dynamics occupy tens of millions of

years, so the error in thinking of an image

of a galaxy as frozen in one moment

of time is small.

Carl Sagan, Cosmos

-o0o-

At every level in our inventory,

nothing seems special about our

Earth, our Sun, our Galaxy, our Local Group.

Evidently, mediocrity reigns throughout.

Such is our niche in the Universe.

Eric Chaisson, Epic of Evolution:

Seven Ages of the Cosmos

-o0o-

Jedha. The Holy City was a sight to behold,

a beacon of faith for the entire galaxy,

sacred to [...] well, sacred to just about

everyone. Above all, Jedha was a haven.

A sanctuary. It was a place to retreat, to reflect,

and renew. A place where you could discover

who you truly were [...] and who 

could you become.

Cavan Scott, Star Wars: The High Republic

-o0o-

Here was a whole life Beth had missed,

a hole where a life should have been.

But then, he thought, the universe was made

up of holes--was it so terrible to be swept

into one? After all. The holes were the black

between stars, between constellations.

It was the holes that were the fabric

of the galaxy.

Lydia Millet, How the Dead Dream

-o0o-

When the universe wants to communicate,

it sends a dream. If the dreamer is awake,

it sends a bird.

Michael Bassey Johnson,

Song of a Nature Lover

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This Chapter is sponsored by Fendi.