Small by Daniel DeLucie juxtaposes cosmic vastness with earthly fragility—where stars dwarf human existence, while leaves whisper our fleeting place in nature’s cycle. A meditation on scale and belonging.
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The stars remind me I'm just a mote afloat in a vast universe The immensity of space The planets The suns of other worlds Gaze into the endless depths And know I'm an insignificant piece of the infinite The leaves remind me I'm just a speck on earth, nothing special The forests and trees The mountains The clouds and sky Feel the teeming rain And know I'm just a single drop in the storm of time The sand reminds me I'm just a grain, ordinary and plain The sprawling shores The oceans deep The rivers and seas See the ubiquity of water And know I'm only a brief ripple lost in the waves Don't need gods Or aliens Or afterlife and heavens Or miracles and magic Or superior beings to know I'm inferior, temporary, and small
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Daniel DeLucie is a writer, musician, and technologist living in Los Angeles, California. He self-published a heavy metal-themed self-help book called Heavy Metal Is My Life Coach in 2021. He has been writing poetry for much of his life because it's fun.
Such profound writing, a poetic reminder that inspires humility. Well done.
“Don't need gods
Or aliens
Or afterlife and heavens”. Love this poem but especially the end. Great work Daniel.