Footsteps on Mars

Cherry

By marandina

Tue, 27 Apr 2021
  • 5896 reads
29 comments
 

In the dead of an iridescent moonlit night,

in an amphitheatre of curious crickets,

chirping in the rattling reed bush,

I am camped under a haven of canvas,

my torch a beacon, child’s imagination alight.

 

My meandering mind is drifting, roaming,

prescient aboard a tin-can, space rocket,

hurtling past silent stars and cosmic dust,

meteors, flaring comets and sunlit photons

streaming a path towards a God of war.

 

Descending from a stratosphere, below endless ebony,

lucid dreams of cloudless atmosphere,

Phobos and Deimos cast solemn shadows across a stellar Sun

Moon-memories of millennia in solitude,

satellites at the edge of an iron oxide land.

 

Canyons of Valles Marines, east of Tharsis Bulge,

Borealis Basin, Martian, Polar ice caps, Olympus Mons

standing high above the plains of Amazonis Planitia,

a sweeping world of geological wonders,

a once thriving home to celestial ancestors from alien lore.

 

And as I turn another page, a further chapter

and ponder metaphors of life and planets,

a journey bound by the physics of nascence,

a joyous reverie sees me open a cargo bay door

and take those first, footsteps on Mars.

 

Image free to use at WikiCommons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OSIRIS_Mars_true_color.jpg

 

 

 

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous Poems
Fantasy

Comments

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Sounds wonderful Paul I wonder if we'll see the day! The immediate future is much more bleak but more sure. Closer to home.

The Moon, in her pale desolate beauty, cold and dead, that is very close hold your breath, a colony on the moon. That is the real race, the Moon, still.

Looks as if you like camping, I do also I love it and don't mind my own company either.

All the best! Tom Brown

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Tom. It's how I imagine camping but I can't see I have ever done it. If I did, it would be me reading books and imagining life amongst the stars. One day we'll make it to Mars. One day. Paul

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

The sky is the limit

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Paul, what a wonderful inspirational poem. I just love how you describe in your imagination, being out with nature and gazing up at the planets, with all the natural sights and sounds around.

I heard that there could be life underground on Mars, which would be amazing...but then I've always believed we're not the only life in the universe, and even believe we're sharing earth with so many species that we've yet to discover, and some that are invisible to the human eye, but that's just my opinion and I know not everyone has the same beliefs.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful poem.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thank you so much for saying that, Jenny. I'm not sure this poem finished how I wanted it to. I guess you just get to the point where you just have to post and hope for the best otherwise you drive yourself nuts.I am a bit of a dreamer and crave the day astronauts land on the Red planet. Thanks again. Paul x

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Nice imagery and a skilfully controlled cadence..

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah cheers Mark (goes off to look up "cadence"). Might still make some tweaks to this.

Thanks for the cherries, ABC Eds. Genuinely appreciated :)

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

It works very well as is, but then we're never satisfied with our own stuff, are we? Would be interested to see what alterations you might make to it. I think the recent activity on Mars has rekindled a lot of people's interest in space exploration -  just being able to say 'the recent activity on Mars' makes me feel I'm in an SF story! I loved 'camped under a haven of canvas'  Brilliant phrase.

Submitted by marandina on

This is true, Jane. It would be minor changes if I get around to it. It's more likely I'll just move on with some other already half written stuff. Life's too short to chase perfection...it keeps disappearing around the corner before you can catch it. Paul.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I liked "haven of canvas" too, and also the contrast of "tin can" with all the exotic names

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Di, and the thoughtful comment. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Nolan on

Hello Paul! I've wondered sometimes what you mean by a man “walking on the Moon”. Well strictly speaking you cannot. There is no direct contact with your body like when walking barefoot at home. In fact you walk on the soles of your boots and not the lunar surface and ground it itself. As in if I was in my seat in the lunar rover, am I the first man sitting on the moon?

Just technical I guess, but it bothers me. Keep well && Nolan

 

Submitted by marandina on

This is all true, Nolan. It's been a very long time since anyone at all did anything on the moon. I would love to hit a golf ball and watch it go all the way round and come back again. Coolsville. Thanks for reading, sir. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I think an imaginary journey is far better than the actual could be! I've enjoyed children's books depicting such visit, and written myself for chidren I think.

As for life on Mars — if it could evolve from the inanimate on earth, it could do so on Mars probably, but as it cannot and hasn't, then it cannot and won't have! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Rhiannon. I imagine there is the most basic, bacterial life on Mars so microbes and the like
I think manned missions are planned for the 2030s - Elon Musk and all that. Yes, I think it's a 7 month journey or something. Hope you are well
Paul x

 

Submitted by celticman on

watched a great film about Neil Armstrong. I guess he felt much the same thing, a weighty experience. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

"First Man"? Thanks for reading, CM!

 

Submitted by Nolan on

Congratulations, Cherries well deserved! Nolan &

 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thank you :)

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Paul

 

Another beautiful poem, such vivid imagery.

Jean Day

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks Jean. I wasn't sure if this poem worked so relieved that people liked it. Thanks for reading. Paul :)

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi marandina,

I liked the alliteration in this at the beginning and the rest of it showed such imagination. Nice one!

hilary     smiley

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Hilary. Much appreciated and keep well. Paul :)

 

Submitted by David Kirtley on

I enjoyed your poem. It is a good journey of the imagination, even if it is not, or never becomes real! Well imagined!

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for coming along, David. Paul :)

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Paul

Beautifully done. I love all the clever word picture.

Jean Day

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks Jean :)

 

Submitted by Hades502 on

Wow, another great one. I'm going back through lots of poems of yours, as it seems that is what you have mostly been doing lately. Some more really good writing here. Congratulations on the cherries.

GGHades502

Submitted by marandina on

Cheers Hades. I have got a couple of short stories to finish and post I have been sitting on for a while. Should get them out soon hopefully. Paul