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"Emptiness, then" by Aidan Lax

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January 15th, 2026

Emptiness, then,

by Aidan Lax

Bang

Clouds of gas
In multitudes of vibrant colors
Swarm around each other
Like thousands of gnats, and

Bang

The gasses compressed,
And a brilliant light,
Followed by many more, 
Brightening the dark, and

Bang

Dust collides with gas,
And rock with rock,
Companions for their lonely stars,
The once emptiness is full, and

Bang

Water arrives on our Mother Earth,
Carried from afar,
Upon an icy meteor,
Enough water to fill the planet, and

Bang

The first life is formed, 
From a simple protein
Single celled and asexual,
It splits over and over, evolves, and

Bang

The first animal
Walks up the beaches,
Breathes oxygen,
Ventures deeper, and

Bang

The earth is barren again, mostly
Another meteor, just as it had brought life,
Wiped away the greatest feats of life
But life prevailed, continued, and

Bang

Rock slams with rock,
Rather then unlocking the door to knowledge, humans burnt through it
Another two rocks slam into each other –
a fight between tribes, and

Bang

The ignition sparks
The bullet leaves its chamber,
The missile its silo,
The train its station, and

Bang

In the movie theaters,
The concerts,
At our celebrations,
Before we enter space, and

Bang

The brilliance of a star, 
The impact of a meteor
Gives life a second chance, though
For now, it is empty, and

Bang

Stars begin to explode,
In tandem, years apart enveloping everything they can
Mighty explosions of wrath and fire
Tear the universe apart, and

Bang

Even the emptiest of all,
The black hole, 
Evaporates once it cannot consume,
The once vibrant clouds grow dull, and

Bang

The planets that survive
Grow cold
Everything lays frozen, drifting apart
And for a while, the universe is crowded with emptiness, then

About the Poet
Aidan Lax resides in New York, New York, United States.
Read the poet's biography and Under 25 Poetry publications on Aidan Lax's Artist Page.

Under 25 Poetry Collection
This poem is also featured in Under 25 Poetry Collection #1, published in the Under 25 Poetry Library.

Keywords: origin of the universe, big bang, science, cycle

Previously published in Under 25 Poetry USA:
"The screen glows and hums" (first line)
by Rishi Chundury

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