SURVIVING ON THE RED PLANET
That time of day when the sun lowers itself into
The few degrees of arc left to us earthlings,
The wind from the south is playing games
This day the first of December,
It is 3:58 p.m.
The alien scene is both terrible and amusing,
Depending on your knowledge and experience
With such things, still freaky to observe.
The sun is shining bright fire under the broken
Cloud layer and a marine layer adds drama.
Our atmosphere is showing tangerine vapor
Flying before the south winds at two speeds,
High clouds provide the red planet backdrop
While the scurrying lower layer rushes
Across center stage.
My mind joins in the other-world view of
A planet out of control, unruly and wild,
I sense the winds blowing Mars dust and ice
Into the upper atmosphere to capture rose reflections,
And then the sun drops out of sight.
All is dark, obscure, spent.
This one is over.
G. M. Goodwin
December 1, 2020
Playing Fair and Being Kind 