Tag: Gravity

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ToE… by Tony Williams

rockpool physics…
I dip my ToE
in the unfathomable water

by Tony Williams

A Theory of Everything (ToE) is a hypothetical framework in physics that aims to unify all fundamental forces (electromagnetism, weak and strong nuclear forces, and gravity) and all fundamental particles into a single, comprehensive theoretical model. It seeks to reconcile the principles of quantum mechanics, which governs the subatomic world, with general relativity, which describes gravity and the cosmos on a large scale.

While a complete ToE remains one of physics’ greatest unsolved challenges, proposed candidates include string theory and loop quantum gravity, though these are incomplete and not considered true Theories of Everything in their current forms. The biggest hurdle for a ToE is the inherent incompatibility between quantum mechanics and general relativity.

Physicists believe a complete understanding of the universe requires a single theory to explain its vast diversity, but whether a complete ToE is achievable or even necessary is a subject of debate among physicists.

Further reading:

‘Theory of Everything’, Wikipedia article, available: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_everything

Author bio:

Tony Williams from Scotland, UK, started writing haiku and senryu in 2020. Since then he has been published widely in many fine journals and picked up several awards. Tony takes inspiration from spending time in nature. He is not unhappily retired.

Read another sciku by Tony here: ‘Spooky Action’.

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All-Seeing by Scott Edgar

Galaxies can run
But can’t hide – Gravity’s lens
Will bring them to light

by Scott Edgar

This haiku explores the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, where the gravity of a massive object bends light from more distant galaxies behind it. This effect allows astronomers to detect and study galaxies that would otherwise remain hidden — brought into view by gravity itself.

Further reading:

‘Hubble’s Gravitational Lenses’, NASA Science, available: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/universe-uncovered/hubbles-gravitational-lenses/

‘Gravitational Lensing’, European Space Agency Hubble News, available: https://esahubble.org/wordbank/gravitational-lensing/

Author bio:

Scott is a father of five who finds peace in long desert hikes, wildflowers in mountain meadows, and the occasional perfectly shaped rock. He’s a self-published poet with three books out, including a collection of haiku, and a fourth on the way, the host of The Poet (delayed) podcast (available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts here: https://blessed-pine-5317.fireside.fm ), and the co-founder of “Torchlight,” a monthly arts and open mic event in Bountiful, Utah. He also practices law in solo practice, balancing the legal world with a steady pull toward creative life. You can follow Scott on Instagram @poetdelayed.

Read more of Scott’s sciku here.

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This Battle is Inborn by Maryam Imogen Ghouth

The sun holds a war—
inward pull and outward fire—
I am made of her.

by Maryam Imogen Ghouth

This haiku reflects the Sun’s internal tension—a delicate equilibrium between the inward pull of gravity and the outward force of nuclear fusion. It is this ongoing balance that keeps the Sun stable and radiant. In a world that often demands binary choices—light or dark, order or chaos—this cosmic tension reminds us that life itself depends on the coexistence of opposing forces and that we, like the Sun, are shaped by contradiction. 

Further reading:

‘Origin and Nature of the Sun’, 2021, Nationales, M., NASA Science Learn, available: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/heat/resource/origin-and-nature-of-the-sun-by-marvin-nationales/ 

Author bio:

Maryam Imogen Ghouth is a literary artist working across written, audio, and visual poetry. Her work has appeared in several literary journals, including Sky Island and Last Leaves, and in award-winning films, such as Under the Sun. Her films, including Not Alone, have been awarded at over 30 film festivals.

Find out more at www.maryamghouth.com and follow Maryam on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/maryamghouth

Read more sciku by Maryam: ‘Rejection’ and ‘A Little Pain Goes a Long Way’.

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eons by Mariya Gusev

path of a comet
orbit eccentricity
classified as love

by Mariya Gusev

Orbital eccentricity is a measure of how much a celestial body’s orbit deviates from a perfect circle. The more “stretched” or flattened an orbit is, the higher the eccentricity, which ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 represents a circular orbit and 1 represents a parabolic orbit (which is not a closed orbit). Eccentricity values between 0 and 1 indicate elliptical orbits, with higher values indicating more elongated ellipses.

Comets often have highly elliptical or near-parabolic orbits because they originate from the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt, extremely distant regions of the solar system. When these objects fall towards the Sun, their orbits are strongly influenced by the Sun’s gravity, resulting in elongated paths. Interactions with planets, especially Jupiter, can also alter a comet’s orbital eccentricity.

Short-period comets (those with orbital periods less than 200 years) tend to have lower eccentricities than long-period comets, which can take thousands or even millions of years to orbit the Sun.

The sciku above explores the sometimes complex paths of human relationships.

Further reading:

‘Our Solar System’, The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) International Observatory, available: https://www.tmt.org/page/our-solar-system

Author bio:

Mariya Gusev co-edits Haiku Pause, a formal haiku newsletter on Substack. Her work has recently appeared in publications including LEAF, The Heron’s Nest, The Mainichi, Failed Haiku, Trash Panda, Asahi Haikuist Network, Haiku Girl Summer, the Kyoto Haiku Project, and the Akita International Haiku Network, and has won awards and mentions in the Tricycle Magazine haiku challenge, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Haiku invitational, the Kiyoshi and Kyoko Tokutomi Memorial Haiku Contest 2024, and the Wales Haiku Journal Summer Contest 2025.

Read more sciku by Mariya: ‘the lion’s gate’ and ‘The Sands of Time’.

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Gravity of Thought by Neena Singh

quantum physics
trying to wrap my head
around dark matter

by Neena Singh

What is Dark Matter?

Unsolved problem in physics: Dark matter is a form of matter that doesn’t emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible. Its presence is inferred through its gravitational effects on visible matter, such as galaxies and stars.

Proportion: It accounts for approximately 27% of the universe’s mass-energy content, compared to just 5% for normal (baryonic) matter.

Further reading:

‘Dark matter’, Wikipedia article, available: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_matter

Author bio:

Neena Singh is a banker turned poet. Her haikai poetry is regularly published in journals and magazines. She has published three books of poetry—”Whispers of the Soul: the journey within”, “One Breath Poetry” and the upcoming “A Peacock’s Cry – seasons of haiku”. She runs a non-profit for quality interventions in the education and health of underprivileged children in Chandigarh, India.

This poem was originally published in Haiku Dialogue, 29th January 2025.

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Attraction by Jonathan Aylett

if an object’s mass
determines its gravity
explain butterflies

by Jonathan Aylett

An object’s mass is directly proportional to the gravitational force it generates, but in this haiku I am turning this on its head and asking why am I so drawn to something as light as a butterfly? The answer is obvious really (they are beautiful).

Further reading:

‘Mass, weight and gravitational field strength’, BBC Bitesize article, available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsqscj6/revision/1

‘Newton’s law of universal gravitation’, Wikipedia article, available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_law_of_universal_gravitation

Author bio:

Jonathan has been writing and publishing poetry for several years. His work has featured in journals dedicated to haiku, and broader literary journals, and won competitions across both disciplines. His collection ‘Goldfish’ – a mix of haiku and long form poetry, will be published by Stairwell books in spring 2024. You can follow Jonathan on Instagram here: @jonathanaylettpoetry 

Read other sciku by Jonathan here: ‘Light’, ‘String Theory’, ‘Moss’, and ‘Dusty Shoulders’.

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Love: Expressed in the General Theory of Relativity by Scott Edgar

Our spacetime is warped
And your celestial body
Sets me in orbit

by Scott Edgar

The scientific basis of my sciku is the General Theory of Relativity. It’s been my experience that falling in love is governed by the same laws: e.g. A distortion of spacetime that draws me to the one I love.

Further reading:

‘General relativity’, Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_relativity

Author bio:

I am a lawyer by trade and poet by passion with a conceptual interest in physics and astronomy. I try to get lost in the deserts of the southwestern United States as often as I can. You can follow Scott on Instagram @poetdelayed.

Read more of Scott’s sciku here.

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String Theory by Jonathan Aylett

string theory lesson
she plucks threads on her sweater
and I unravel

by Jonathan Aylett

This is a love haiku, a narrative poem in which the subject can’t concentrate on school because of their unrequited love for a classmate. It also alludes to string theory and the universal interconnectedness the theory points to.

Further reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory

Author bio:

Jonathan has been writing and publishing poetry for several years. His work has featured in journals dedicated to haiku, and broader literary journals, and won competitions across both disciplines. His collection ‘Goldfish’ – a mix of haiku and long form poetry, will be published by Stairwell books in spring 2024. You can follow Jonathan on Instagram here: @jonathanaylettpoetry 

Read other sciku by Jonathan here: ‘Light’, ‘Moss’, ‘Dusty Shoulders’, and ‘Attraction’.