Earth to Houston

Earth to Houston 

Houston, are you here

with me? You nod,

but your gaze is off, and

then you are gone, 

somewhere in a galaxy,

far, far away. 

Contrite, your chest

heaves unsteadily

and though your lungs 

put up a fight, your

heart has readily accepted

that you are so slight, 

you hardly amount to 

a speck of dust

in the starry night. 

I know it seems

that we are so very 

small, but even small 

things have a purpose

to call their own. 

Take the tiny cells

that make up our bodies--

though they are not alive, 

they let us thrive. Isn't

it fascinating to think,

that it takes an army of

tiny undead creatures 

just to get one of 

our eyes to blink?

Though it can get hard to 

breathe as you sit tight 

and try not to leave, 

remember that you

are here on earth, where

you are tethered at birth

to the land, to the mountains,

and all the sand. 

So take off your spacesuit 

and let your hair down

free, here on this earth 

you can breathe easy. 

Remember that I am 

sitting right by your side--

you are not alone, 

suspended in time. 

Cry if you want, I 

don't mind at all. But don't

go yet into outer space. 

I'm not ready for you 

to leave without a trace.