Wearied by repeated failure
And constrained inside his own mind
A thousand calculations he has made
And another thousand measures taken
Making marks on well marked charts
Papers rustling in the evening light
With unregulated rigour
Candle flame licks the cool breeze
In this otherwise stifling room where sweat
And anxiety linger in anticipatory air
Months have passed by
Lit by moonlight in this quiet quest
Lived in unrelenting restless state
With no conclusion
No finish on any forseen horizon
The evasive prize haunts him at night and bars his days
Condemning them to be spent in fractious daylights slumber
Sun's sneering rays searching out paths
Through worn and faded curtains
Coming to rest and feasting on the restless placid flesh
Of a night watcher in distress
At all that is left to be seen
In hallowed heavens upper reaches