ONE
The universe is 13.7 billion years old
give or take a few hundred million I’m told
what came before it I haven’t a clue
just nothing looking for something to do

TWO
Light travels at 186,000 miles per second
and is NOT instantaneous, it’s generally reckoned
(first by some Enlightenment guy called Romer
whose equations could put you into a coma)

THREE
So really there’s not the slightest use
in booking a break to Betelgeuse
because even if you started young and fit
you’d be 480 and feeling it

FOUR
And that’s just one star in the vast array
twinkling on the arm of the Milky Way
one of four hundred billion or so
spinning through space with nowhere to go

FIVE
If the universe was like a big, fruit platter
the plate itself would be made of dark matter
and quite what THAT is I’m really not sure
but it keeps the bananas off the floor

SIX
So – is there intelligent life out there?
(‘cos there’s not a whole lot here, to be fair)
Given the distance I can’t blame them much
for taking so long to get in touch