Faith Hope & Fiction

By Douglas J. Lanzo

Dedicated to Tom Corbin
“An excellent scientist, colleague, husband, father, and grandfather. Above all he was a good person, the highest calling to which we should all aspire.”
 – from the official obituary, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

It was at Tom’s memorial
that I rose to offer
a few words, that I might
share a poetic tribute
I had published to honor
the man lying in our sight:

The neighbor who had beckoned us
with words of kindness
to his yard on clear nights,
that we might share
from his observatory dome
wonders of celestial light;

An astronomer who focused
and rotated a telescope
to ply wonders in the sky
despite trembling from
the Parkinson’s disease
from which he ultimately would die;

Our beloved friend who shared
quasars, nebulae and novas
bringing sparkles to our eyes,
showing us treasured secrets
hidden countless light years away
with a voice patient and wise.

And so it was with reverence,
gratitude and affection
that somber day I did rise …

Douglas Lanzo is an award-winning American author and poet whose Newbery-nominated, debut novel, The Year of the Bear, won the 2023 Ames Awards for Young Adult Books, was named a Finalist for the 2023 Hawthorne Prize, and was a 2022 Firebird Award winner. His second book, I Have Lived, was recently named a double Firebird Award Gold Medal winner in the Novella and Romance/Suspense categories. Doug’s poetry has been widely published in 67 literary journals and 7 anthologies in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, England, Wales, Austria, Mauritius, India, Japan and Australia. He and his wife, identical twin sons, cat, pufferfish and hermit crabs reside in Chevy Chase, Maryland—and but the pets enjoy nature, fishing, tennis, snorkeling and hiking. Visit his website at www.douglaslanzo.com.