for the World Space Week

from down memory lane. a ‘pome’ a day keeps the doctor away
Dear astronauts........
1
Let’s talk of something other than
the common feelings
Such as your anxiety, and the world’s
varying shades of concern
Ranging from small hope to hero worship
and prayers,for you.
The night when you reached
the lunar threshold
I had a dream.
I dreamt of the old man in the moon,
the old woman too,
Go screaming, fleeing, into the glimmering
universe,
Sobbing hysterically at their own funeral.
The fairy orbs,sky lanterns, moon-men
went crashing through space
and were reduced to star dust.
The end of an illusion.
The moon is a dead land, crusty, cratered
and pocked.
Not that the modern child didn’t know it
but seeing is believing.
And you have been so close to the Moon.
Now the moon is real.
We’ve entered a new era, the Moon age.
Now we’ll make preparations
to leave signs of human life
on the moon too
Such as biscuit crumbs and used tins
from a picnic basket......
However........

11
Did you feel the smile break
on the serious faces of bygone men of the skies
The great scientists?
Their gentle eyes had already seen you
There on the moon, while they lived.
Did you feel them gently salute you?
And when you looked down, or up

(I don’t know if apparent directions matter, when you are that far)

and saw,
The sun lower itself to rest on the western
pillow
and slowly draw the coverlet of dark
Right over its head and go to sleep,
While the great earth ball heaved itself
On its celestial spin,
and entered the ghost of night, carrying
The Moon-lamp to light its way,
and millions of stars with a hushed wide-eyed
gaze were wondering what the
Earthlings were upto tonight?
Did you wonder too,and think
how mean and small they would seem, if they
were destroying peace tonight,
Man against man, its such a petty thing!
War and hatred. Such unspeakable thoughts.
When the Cleanness and the Beauty
That surrounds Mother Earth
Lifts your thoughts and expands your heart
till it feels like engulfing the entire
universe in Peace.
Lucky, people you, dear Astronauts,
You belong to the world,
and we are proud.