Galileo

by Muriel Lipp

What strife with God and church
the sun (that central star)
the planets, their places in the universe
and O the mysterious tides

to be true
to be true
to name them as he saw them
at rest or in motion

and because of integrity
to be named heretic
for revealing God’s truth
Now we know Galileo was right —

too late to honor him alive —
but on this blooming June day
please thank him for the knowledge
that though the earth is

constantly rotating on its axis
around the sun this orange lily
wondrously
stands tall and still.