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Elon Musk wants to send us to Mars
One
Mythologyborne
Pegasus, son of Poseidon, identical brother of Chrysaor the forgotten
of Perseus who killed your mother, Camelopardalis of Ursa Major, Canis Minor and Canis Major of Orion the hunter,
Crux and Cygnus of the genus Hercules the laborer, son of Zeus
Cassiopeia, queen of Eritrea, mother of Andromeda of Perseus,
Andromeda, bride of Perseus, daughter of Cassiopeia,
Ophiuchus, bearer of Serpens of the genus Hercules the half-blood
Monoceros of the genus Orion, nearby resident of Orion, Canis Minor and Canis Major, significant half of the winged unicorn,
Perseus of Perseus, slayer of Medusa, initiator of Pegasus
O great Orion of Orion–– O Gods, Elon Musk wants to send us to Mars.
Asterisk
But he doesn’t know
That we were there before. I had a dream.
Pressurization initiated.
Asterisk
I woke up at noon
In a world with two moons and orange sky.
This was the time of sepia as imagined by the singular sapience of a singular mind
Gaining momentum in the ordinary time of space exploration.
Asterisk
The windblown sand of the sandstorm flirts with my white dress.
First violently, then soft, then violently again. Interchangeably.
It tries to steal the red roses’ imprint. Poor darlings, I will protect you.
As I stand in the midst of a decimated land in the shadow of the sons of War
On a surface of rust, I fear nothing but satellite – but I have courage, and courage is stronger in the face of the unsparing.
Phobos and Deimos – Fear and Terror, another dizygotic offspring
Come down my lunar love, I’ll show you a world where fragile life outlives mythology.
You’re not going anywhere. Running in circles
Chasing yourselves, until you blow up with no apparent reason but bearing twice the burden of existence
Moon debris, my little tiny ships of cinder and dust
I try to bring you home
Or bring home to you.
I dream
In perpetuity
The wetlands where my roses will grow.
Pressurization complete.
Elon Musk wants to send us to Mars.
Welcome to the star of death
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Two
Instructions for spacewalkers?
Less than one light year away. Light can travel around the Earth approximately eight times in one second. Light can travel around the Earth approximately two hundred forty eight million times in one year. That’s how far you are.
Instruction no.1: Do not attempt to fathom the distance.
You will most likely give yourself a panic attack.
Instruction no.2: But by all means, look up the sky and stare at the Earth.
Like all things in life, you don’t really appreciate what you have until you’ve lost it.
Instruction no.3: Nowhere is everywhere and everywhere is nowhere.
Make sure your boots are strapped on and locked in the ground. Close your eyes and hold still. Now take a deep breath. And another. Where are you?
Instruction no.4: Imagine the possibility.
Find release in your absence from future and the absence of gravity. What do you see?
Instruction no.5: Remember to enjoy your walk.
Skip. Mars’s gravity is sixty-two per cent less than Earth’s gravity. Find joy in skipping.
Instruction no.6: Dance.
I won’t try to explain. Just dance.
Instruction no.7: Don't wear sunblock.
It won’t protect you from solar flares or gamma radiation.
Instruction no.8: But make sure you look good.
All eyes are on you, you’re the star of the adventure.
Instruction no. 9: If you need to sneeze, don't.
You’ll only make a mess out of it. Try to hold it until you return home.
Instruction no.10: Don't try to cry.
Just the same, your tears won’t fall easily. This will all be over and soon you will be back in the safety of your pressurized habitat.
Instruction no.11: Accept certainty.
A goldfish can’t live outside the bowl more than a few seconds. In the eventful case it does, it will most likely be covered with slime and will have already suffered a great deal.
Instruction no.12: And water my roses. Once every 6 sols.
Soil, radiation, and temperature will affect how much water my roses will need. Keep in mind they might need additional water if the soil is extremely dry.
Instruction no.13: If you succeed in doing these–––
Welcome to the star of death.
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Three
Magic and star, life in transit
A star collides with a celestial body and then there's life. Chaos sires order.
Elliptical helix
Pangaea
The product of an erratic chain reaction floats in orbit.
Asterisk
We landed in Tinjar Valles. And then there was life.
Moving
Organic
Scalable
Life.
(7 stranded planetary wanderers
And me)
Intelligent, organized, logical, technological, optimistic, ignorant, dangerous, threatening, cosmic, asteroid, beautiful, evolving (it is questionable), healthy (it is questionable), pioneering (it is questionable), persistent, tenacious, colorful, flaring, amiable,
Life.
Asterisk
I see the colossus watching us through the glass. The glass our common pathway.
I close my eyes,
Shattered glass.
Welcome to the star of death.
And O havoc.
No roses.
Asterisk
Simpson Desert, Australia
Red Desert, Wyoming
Registan Desert, Afghanistan
Tinjar Valles, Amenthes
Tinjar Valles, Amenthes
Tinjar Valles, Amenthes
Tinjar Valles, Amenthes
Tinjar Valles, Amenthes
Arid river channels where there was once
Water?
Glacier?
Lava?
Terra Mater, what damaged you?
Who built you? And why are you here?
Large tracts of desert surrounded by large craters
Sand dunes,
And saline materials; nutrients necessary for the growth of roses.
Dry land, waiting patiently.
Asterisk
The red desert hosts an abundance of wildlife, despite the shortage of water and poor vegetation.
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Four
Rosa stellata var martialis, gravity like a drug
Rosa stellata var martialis
is a bushy plant
Which grows
on dry rocky
and sandy places,
And thrives in sub-zero temperatures.
It is chiefly found in canyons
and the streambeds of outflow channels.
It has commonly bloody mauve, purple
or burgundy flowers
and bears reddish
brown prickles
On the petioles and stems.
The plant is harvested biannually
for its anti-viral properties
And fighting off the adverse effects
Of customary skipping
in conditions with weak gravity forces.
Approach with caution. It is heavily armed and ready to fight.
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Five
The plain of paradise, the door of the desert
The core of my core in the core of Lazarus planet:
Terra Mater, I’m here. I’m here. Receive me.
Terra Mater, I’m here. Receive me.
Lo and behold, it speaks.
Welcome to the Lazarus star.
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