Outside,
The sun has set,
The atmosphere is freezing
To the surface for the night,
While mining rovers trundle
Home through frosted
Regolith.
Inside,
The air ducts hum,
Recycled water flows through
Hydroponic gardens under lights.
A systems check confirms that
All is well inside
The airlock.
Elsewhere,
On Planet Earth,
It’s said they walk on grass,
Enjoying sunshine as their right.
She sighs, and wonders
What it would be like
To go outside.
Amalia E. Gnanadesikan’s poetry has been published in Vita Brevis, Uppagus, and Spillwords. She lives with her husband, three cats, and seventeen built-in bookcases in Severna Park, Maryland, where she is learning to make mead. When not at home, she can be found nursing a decaf cappuccino at the bookstore café.