Weightless, I’m a blip in the schematics of the universe
Romancing the cold regoliths of Mars with the pads of my space suit
This is my vacation; I have no mission
My days are long with personal EVAs and with David Bowie on blast
I stage my own concert for the twinkling stars and dusty nebulas
Hiking Olympus Mons until I’m out of breath
Singing “ground control to Major Tom”, slowly and drolly
Like a child I bounce around channels and gullies
Battling winds and dust and my own internal dialogue
There is a lot of time to think, as you’d imagine, and
You probably wonder if I think about you
When I see Earth outside of my porthole window
I use my pointer and thumb to hold it
Like a coin, and then I crush it, smiling
Back in the world of humans,
You once innocently asked me
If you were the reason my legs stay on the ground
And smiling I would pat your head and say no, my darling
But the polished stars in your eyes give me direction
A straight path for my heart from me to you
It has been 40 Sols since I’ve seen you last
And there is a locket that floats up from my neck
Inside I see you; trapped inside an oval, waving
Your hair flailing up and eyes winced just right
Can you see me?
Look out your window, look up
40°44′N 9°28′W, 40.74°N 9.46°W
There is a red spot in the sky and a thin line jutting out like a tower
That tower is me shooting kisses like arrows through the air
They may tie to another planet’s orbit, my love
But all this is intended for you
I’m dousing the galaxies in my love for you
I’ve been whispering to the rocks about you
I can literally see the space in between us
But continue to water the gardens and sip white wine at night
And most importantly,
Please try and forget
That I’m never coming home

03/20/2014

Author's Note: Inspired by the Martian by Andy Weir

Posted on 03/20/2014
Copyright © 2024 Jared Orlando