The Doorstep to Heaven is Covered in Dust

poetry in the stars 8/25/25

While the sun releases its final solar flares for summer, a different star about 25 light-years away quietly watches time tick by. Fomalhaut glows in the mouth of the fish, Piscis Austrnus, in the southern part of the autumn sky. He’s a beacon to those who seek meaning from the cosmos. Ancient Persians even considered him one of the four guardians of heaven! Fomalhaut is the brightest thing in his part of space. Considered a brilliant youth at 440 million years old, yet he’s surrounded by darkness and dust. If he is guarding heaven, why is the doorstep empty? Covered in dirt? Does he not let anyone through, or has he been void of a visitor all this time?

Fomalhaut, the symbol of fall’s arrival... the pumpkin spice of stars.

✍️This month’s writing prompts:

“The Doorstep to Heaven Is Covered in Dust”

Write a poem from the perspective of watching time pass without a visitor because you are guarding the gate to heaven.

“440 Million Years of Solitude”

Explore the feeling of being ancient and young at once. Let the poem drift between cosmic time and personal memory.

“The Mouth of the Fish Speaks in Silence”

Use the imagery of Piscis Austrinus to craft a poem where the fish tries to speak but only emits starlight. What truths are hidden in its glow?

“Solar Flares and Farewells”

Write a farewell letter to someone from the perspective of a star watching from afar.

“A Beacon for the Seekers”

Write a poem for someone who looks to the sky for meaning. Guide them through grief, transition, or revelation.

image from eso.org