Hi there!  Your friendly neighborhood mod here! 

It looks like you're having some formatting issues.  You might find [this link helpful](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/6ewgt/reddit_markdown_primer_or_how_do_you_do_all_that/) if you are.  

Reddit's markdown language isn't very friendly to poets.  It tends to eat our lovely line breaks and stanza breaks for lunch and spit out huge chunks of block text instead. 

The easiest workarounds are:
*****
Put four blank spaces in front of each line of your poem      

     to make them    
     look like this.  
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A double-space at the end of a line followed by one carriage return (the enter key) will make Reddit     

go to the next line below.  
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Two carriage returns (the enter key) in a row will make Reddit show     


A slightly larger paragraph break, which may be suitable for a stanza break.  
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If all else fails, type "& n b s p ;" (but without the spaces) to force Reddit to &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; hit the spa

Pretty good!

I personally would take out 'sky' out of either of the first two lines, like:

As the telescope searches the night so dark
...

The last line I would take 'us' out.


Other than that, good job for a first attempt!

I like this one, simple and easy too picture. 

Sky twice in the first two lines throws ya a bit though.

I think you've got a decent start with the piece, but it could use some editing and expansion with additional stanzas.  In regard to the possible edits, see below.

&nbsp;  

As the telescope searches, it catches  
a glimpse of Jupiter.  
High in the Southern sky  
the giant dazzles and shimmers;  
its moons, small specks.  

As Ursa Major reaches zenith,  
a streak of yellow shoots across -   
a meteor passes, transitory as life.  
The sight leaves me hungry  
for knowledge of the worlds above.  

This is my first attempt at free verse and one of my first attempts at writing poetry in general. Constructive criticism would be appreciated.

    As the telescope searches the night sky
    It catches a glimpse of Jupiter high in the Southern sky
    Through the lens the planet dazzles and shimmers
    Its moons appear as small specks, dwarfed by the giant
    As The Big Dipper reaches zenith, directly overhead
    A streak of yellow shoots across it as a meteor passes
    The sight leaves one hungry for knowledge about the world above us

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Feedback:
1. https://oc.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/4mkgkv/sea/
2. https://oc.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/4mggrz/best_friends/


Stargazing on a Spring night