Tag Archives: home

December 8, 2014

The Astronaut

	The Astronaut
361	An astronaut goes for a walk
	outside among the stars.
	His trusty craft beneath his feet
	has taken him quite far.
365	The sailor of the stars steps up,
	and gravity takes pull.
	What feels an inch becomes a yard;
	brief flight elates his sole.
	He climbs up to the viewing deck,
370	slow motion takes a while,
	and at his goal he looks around
	and cannot help but smile.
	For ever since he was quite young
	the moon was more than bright.
375	It was a place to touch and feel,
	to study in the night.
	He followed rules, excelled at math,
	his shape remained pristine.
	One afternoon then NASA called
380	and offered him his dream.
	And so he stands surrounded by
	quite frankly everything.
	He looks out left at Mars’ bright red,
	now right at Saturn’s rings.
385	The wonders that the sailor’s seen
	can barely be described.
	The brightness of a newborn star
	looks magical this high.
	The darkness of the universe
390	still makes him hold his breath.
	Abyss had never seemed so black
	until he trod its depths.
	And even in his special suit
	the cold pervades his veins,
395	but ice can’t numb his boyish awe.
	He feels so young again.
	There far below is planet Earth
	whose continents conceal
	a hundred hundred thousand men
400	whose tiny lives are real.
	His job is truly wondrous.
	It cannot be explained.
	Some things need be experienced
	to fully comprehend.
405	The astronaut proceeds back now.
	The airlock guards his path.
	He floats down to his office space
	and documents a graph.
	His toothpaste meal will have to do.
410	It’s roast beef, peas, and bread.
	Then after he enjoys a book
	he’ll float on up to bed.
	Before he sleeps, he always looks
	at photos of his wife
415	and little girl, who’s just turned three:
	his newborn star – so bright!
	And as he sails the universe
	above Earth’s bluish dome,
	the astronaut lies wondering:
420	how far away is home?