These Are My JOTtings...

Roaming the Stars

Today we roam among the stars
by probes and satellites so old.
Our rovers run about on Mars
performing just commands they're told.

But man-made toys all have their day,
when suddenly the sunset comes.
Cassini probe no more can say
and Man is left to add its sums.

How wonderful that we advance
by outstretched arms quite obsolete!
The cameras in the heavens dance
for tools on Earth to lately greet.

What God has helped is meager brain
to span the years between launch and show
That pictures giv'n are daily plain
from old computers, less they'd know!

Cassini left, when computers housed
the Intel Pentium II within,
And Microsoft IE4 espoused,
while Apple's Power Macintosh G3 was then.

Cassini "died" two days ago,
but we with Intel Compute Stick (Core M)
And HP Pavilion Wave to know
and Apple's iMac 5K Retina to display them...

Would thank the probe for pictures seen
on trip through heavenly bodies path.
Much information we clearly glean
from sights and sounds for years of math.

by Jay O'Toole
on September 17th, 2017