Planet X

Tombaugh found an icy fleck,
uncatalogued, wandering
past stars upon the plates.
Champagne corks popped
with his announcement --
a ninth planet, Pluto,
God of Darkness
enthroned in ice.

New detectors,
chilled cold as Pluto,
resolved a moon from
the eccentric orb --
Charon, ferryman
across the gulf of space.
Pluto and Charon danced,
whirled together inside
mighty Neptune's path.

After Clyde's passing,
astronomers questioned
the iceball's status,
a coup gained strength
to dethrone a God.
Kuiper Belt orphan,
Trans-Neptunian object --
taxonomies abounded.

While the count of worlds
'round other stars rose,
science debated
Sol's straggling child.
A rift wide as Styx
divided astronomers.
Nine teetered near Eight,
blasphemy to most.

Evidence was weighed,
mortals cast the vote
restoring Pluto's crown.
Last night before bed
I spoke nine planets' names,
drifted off, dreamt we found
a tenth before the dawn.

Scott Speck
2/6/99