A safe distance away.

Astronomers have discovered cosmic activity. In a galaxy. Three billion light years away. Or so I’m being told. In an article in Tuesday’s New York Times. Used to think. That I would never believe in the absolutely ridiculous. But I’ve changed my mind.  I’ve become a true believer. In the enormity of creation. Yes. Yes. If I hopped aboard a space ship. Today. Traveling at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second). Astronomers are telling me. It would take 3 billion years. To reach this galaxy. Think about it. The possibility. Of life.  Teeming. On Earth-like planets. In that distant galaxy. And in the billions of other galaxies. That I pass by. On the way to my ultimate destination. Stretches my credulity. But still, I’m a believer. Obviously, I can believe almost anything. Even that I could walk on water. That would be a relatively small feat. Anyway, the astronomers admit to being baffled. By mysterious pulses of cosmic energy bursts. Coming from this galaxy. The first was detected in 2007. All but one burping out a -cataclysmic radio pulsed exactly once. And then disappearing into the night. The lone exception. A burst that has repeated itself. Hundreds of times. There’s rampant speculation. Over what’s causing this. The one I like most. That they are lasers propelling alien interstellar spacecraft. But astronomers aren’t ruling out cosmic violence  -- black holes and neutron (dead) stars interacting with each other. Stay tuned. And don’t worry. Seems that we are a safe distance away. --Jim Broede