Starship Terraheart

Captain’s Log, Year 2124, April 24

On-board the Starship Terraheart, leaving Earth to explore

For I had a great plague from my home planet called loneliness

Fueling my mind to pursue the cosmos wilderness

Perhaps in vast space a great unknown beauty I shall find

This could surely help to ease my mind

Captain’s Log, Year 2124, June 14

Approaching Mars now, already what a journey it has been

The great red planet looms in my eye

But past our neighbour planet I must fly

Further and further from Earth and the Sun

For this journey has still just begun

Captain’s Log, Year 2125, June 15

The gas giant Jupiter looms large and supreme

It’s swirling clouds and raging storms clear to see

I gaze from afar over a biscuit and tea

As if even its Galilean moons weren’t large enough

Getting too close could be tough

Nevertheless I use its gravity to slingshot further into space

At a quite suitably rapid pace

Captain’s Log, Year 2125, May 27

I awoke from my sleep capsule around the hour of eleven

To see the other gas giant Saturn in my sights

It’s magnificent rings glimmering amongst the lights

I linger for some time, taking in the great beauty of it all

But I must once again move on, to answer the mysterious call

Captain’s Log, Year 2127, August 5

Over two more years have passed but I am alive

I have come to a stop somewhere just short of Uranus

Still yet to find anything that could make me famous

Do I continue on to the very edge of the Solar System and beyond?

The constant cold, empty quiet I am decreasingly fond

Captain’s Log, Year 2127, August 16

I have turned the ship around, eager to leave what cannot be seen

The drums beat loudly in my head

And persists even when I am in bed

I engaged the starship’s maximum power

Hurtling through space at seventy-two thousand kilometers an hour

Captain’s Log, Year 2131, July 29

I have long past Earth and even Venus, am I really fine?

I’m passing Mercury, only a month’s journey from the Sun

The enormous white hot ball glows ominously, the heat of which is not fun

I look towards the mighty star and once again engage full thrust

As my pounding head feels almost ready to bust

Final Captain’s Log, Year 2131, August 23

The blazing light ahead makes it almost impossible to see

The heat shields hold but struggle not to give way

Warning lights on the panels all light up to have their say

I realize the cruel irony of my journey now

And perhaps I am guilty of throwing in the towel

I head now to my capsule to sleep

And pray that for the remainder of my journey I make no peep

Emergency Automated Log, Year 2131, August 26

Starship Terra-

SYSTEM ERROR.

Published 2015-07-10