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?