Poem: Does life really have a purpose?

Jun 26, 2021

Space is vast, near-infinite and empty,
but only so much of it we can see

Stuck in a direction of time are we,
and yet we claim how we came to be

Welcome to space-time’s infinite array,
where everything lies farther and farther away

Magnificent galaxies may be big and bright,
but their separation speaks stronger than their light

Even the stars are not as close as it seems,
mere little dots that hold distant dreams

Yet even those dots can be the most violent of all,
massive supernovae and gamma ray bursts leading their fall

This is a Universe where the stars are born to die,
some form black holes, to space-time they can lie

Even the smaller stars are hostile in time,
as are its planets that were once benign

Space is cold, and time unforgiving,
space is harsh, and with time it defies living

Just what is then the purpose of life?
Or are we just a roll of dice?

Life is purposeless and meaningless,
for every sentient species is ultimately alone
in the vast space-time emptiness.

The last bit about the lack of time for two species to communicate is a reference to the Fermi Paradox.

Jatan’s Space