I am a shooting star propelling toward Earth.

Velocity rising,

my hot blue radiance

a warning to those below.

The men make measures of my luminosity, scrutinizing

my shape

my color

my temperature.

Will it all end in an explosive cosmic collision?

They declare that I shall be

their own celestial prize.

Bestow me with their name,

lay claim to their discovery.

And for the briefest of moments,

I give them the pleasure of

passing through their orbit

Only to continue on,

hurtling toward the unknown

as the men wonder at my audacity

                                 for proving them wrong.