The peace and tranquility
of Earth from orbit
the awesome silence
the awesome sights
the feeling of oneness
the feeling of achievement
the scars of national boundaries gone
"That's it,"
says my Russian comrade
"Orbital insertion completed.
Three-hundred kilometer apogee.
A short three-hour trip to put up
the communications satellite."
A toothy grin, and then,
"Hope this goes quickly.
I'm hungry."
Terminator
the line between light and dark
it's sunrise over Bangkok
Greetings to Thailand
With one orbit every ninety minutes
it's a quick greeting
The Earth is so small
My good Russian comrade leans over
and says to me in his broken English,
"You know, I love space.
Not only does one again learn
how to look,
but one again learns
how to see . . ."
Racing madly at Mach 23
Baja, California comes into view
My mind wanders and my thoughts drift
to a small house in Wyoming
and my wife and daughter
My thoughts are locked on them
and America drifts slowly away
toward the horizon
Mother Russia comes up fast
"Something strange over Colorado,"
whispers my Russian friend to me
looking back, eyes wide
Sure enough, something strange
Tiny fireflies
rising to kiss the sky
shrugging off their mortal coils
"And over Siberia. Oh my God,"
he breathes
Fireflies in the night
Which lift higher and higher
and then arc
and then fall back
Mutually assured destruction
"No,"
repeats the Russian over and over,
"No."
My wife
My children
"Vladimir, my friend,"
I say slowly,
"This is our home now."