The Lonely Voyager

The Voy’ge began—and complex signals flowed

With ease in noiseless real-time tête-à-têtes.

As distance took its toll, the din did grow—

And discord’s voice emerged within the mix.

Accelerated slingshots sped the flight

Past gaseous planets perfectly aligned;

The signals stretched and strained—then dimmed to light,

Uncertain threads to earth-bound stations blind.

The half-life of a colloquy depends

On chords decayed. As time and distance win

The race, the tangled use of words suspends—

While heartbeats in the vacuum drown the din.