The following poem was first published in the Summer 2024 edition of Altered Reality Magazine. It’s about the first man to visit Pluto, and the ensuing madness that comes from the incredible loneliness, darkness, and coldness of the dwarf planet. Upon landing, he creates his own mission and meaning, seeking out the moon Charon.

Pluto is way far out there,

like, far, far out there, man

Getting there requires careful thought,

ample courage, a foolish plan

Zipping past the asteroid belt,

leaving Earth behind

Nestled tightly in my craft,

my only friend my mind

Past Jupiter and Saturn,

wearing rings in style,

then on into the inky black,

my self-imposed exile

Then Uranus and Neptune,

those icy blue marbles

The Earth is now a mote of dust,

my thoughts and feelings garbled

Alone now in the open space,

those giant planets long gone

Pluto still so far away

just me in the starry pond

What point is there in flying this far,

billions of miles from home?

The only answer is deep within,

that restless spirit to roam

Pluto appears up ahead,

white and gray and red

The sun behind a pinprick of light,

momentary dread

My tiny craft passes through

a too thin atmosphere

As I step onto the ice,

my heart is filled with fear

No human beings or living things

for billions and billions of miles

If I give in to loneliness,

the god of death shall smile

I set across the broken plain,

scrambling over craters

My mission I set for myself,

to the human race, a traitor

The planet cannot warm itself,

the sun glows strangely dim

76 hours of day gives way

to 76 hours of night so grim

Sleep then wake then sleep then wake,

then sleep and wake once more

Each time the darkness still remains

while I search the untamed shore

The stars above my only guides

what patterns will I find?

What constellations can I create

inscribing arcs and lines?

Pluto’s tiny, tiny moons—

Kerberos, Nix, Hydra, and Styx—

might wander cross my field of vision,

faint irregular specks

My journey ends when I finally find

Charon, my new companion

I recline and peer above

at icy grooves and canyons

White and gray with a smattering of rust

upon the northern pole

My loneliness evaporates

as I reach my long-sought goal

Witnessing this lunar beauty

no one has seen before

Pluto’s face is locked with hers,

true love forevermore

Charon’s surface faintly lit

by lights bounced off his crown

Up I gaze and often wonder:

is anyone gazing down?