Our 2024 Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky Facebook Group Poetry Contest is over. Deep in the Dark of Texas™ was the theme for our 3rd annual contest. We had four wonderful poems entered by four poets, with 31 voters casting 47 votes.

And the winner is......Wayne Gosnell for his poem "California Friend"!!!! Wayne's poem did stir a little controversy in the comments, but the poem met our community standards. We will publish the other 3 poems in this newsletter over the next several months or, if you just can’t wait, click the Featured tab on our Facebook Group page.

California Friend

Howdy friend.
You new ‘round here?
Sit down beside me.
I’ll buy you a beer.

Where’d you come from?
Oh, California, you say,
From old San Francisco,
Foggy city by the bay.

I been there once.
Didn’t care for it none.
Too many people
Not enough sun.
Too much traffic.
Too many lights.
Smog filled days
And overlit nights.

So, you built you a house
Up on yonder fair hill.
Mighty proud of it, too.
I can tell that you’re thrilled,
To be here in Texas,
Land of the free,
Sittin’ right here
Smilin’ at me.

But let me ask you, friend…
When the sun goes down,
And the dark comes near,
Do you sit in your house
Trembling with fear?
Do you feel that the dark,
Is something to dread?
That there’s something out there
That’s better off dead?

Do you turn on the light
Because you’re afraid?
Do you brighten the night
And wish you’d had stayed
In California so safe
Where there’s no cause for fright
‘Cause there’s so many lights
That the night is all bright?

Do you use all those lights,
To keep the bad guys away?
Do you spoil the night sky,
To keep the goblins at bay?

The night out here,
Is dark. Yes, it’s true.
We like it that way.
‘Cause we all like the view.

We keep it real dark,
Stow the light away.
So we can each see the stars,
And the broad Milky Way.

The dark sky above
Is a Hill Country treasure,
A source of great awe
That gives us much pleasure.

But City People come,
And bring all their lights.
They couldn’t care less,
About heavenly delights.
Makes you really angry.
Makes your blood boil hot,
To think how they spoil it,
With nary a thought.

Of how the lights on their homes
Shine into the sky,
Each killing a star
In the great by and by.

But wait, you say!
I judged you wrong?
You enjoy the night.
You want to belong?
And be one of us,
A Hill Country friend,
To protect the night sky,
And never offend?

You keep your house dark.
Light only where needed.
The evils of light
You say you have heeded.
You point the light down,
Choose the color with care,
Turn off if not needed,
Well done, I declare!

Thank you, my friend,
For being so smart
In protecting the night sky
You’ve made a great start.

Welcome to Texas!
California, farewell.
Never look back,
At that old Hotel.
Glad to have you, friend!
You’re still new ‘round here.
But sit a spell longer.
Let's have another beer.

Wayne Gosnell, January 2024

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THIS NEWSLETTER

We hope you enjoy our newsletter and we are always looking for ways to make it better and more enjoyable. To that end, we invite your suggestions, comments and ideas for articles. In fact, if you would like to write an article to be published in our newsletter, we will certainly consider including it. Please send them to: newsletter@blancocountynightsky.org

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NEXT BOARD MEETING

Our regular Board meeting, which is open to everyone, will be Wednesday, March 20th @ 9 am, at El Charro Restaurant in Johnson City. If you would like to attend via Zoom, just let us know ahead of time and we’ll make it happen.

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