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Imagine

Imagine a black velvet curtain Pinholed to allow specked light Now imagine that same curtain Endlessly stretching out of sight And there you have the immense Velvet blackness of outer space In which I hang and float seeing That speckled velvet any way I face I suppose I am that lucky man To know the exact second he will die No single second longer possible No matter how or what I try For the oxygen of life is finite In my cocooned fragile suit of death I can rest here calm and unmoving And so harvest every single breath Or I can thresh and move and panic Burn up my allowance fast Never quite sure which breath May be the next to last I am speaking my thoughts slowly There is so much I want to say And I hope oh how I hope I will be found some day And maybe then just maybe Some descendant may know How much I loved life And how I loved her so I am that one lucky man Of our ship crew of five The only one still here The only one still alive Routine maintenance inspection Left me suited spaceside and in luck The only one to survive the hit When that unknown object struck My thoughts are now recorded I am reconciled and at peace I shall open this seam soon to cold cold space And so choose my own moment of release Cruel fate is perhaps a considerate friend Allowing me the when to make my own end Imagine a black velvet curtain Pinholed to allow specked light Now imagine that same curtain Endlessly stretching out of sight

Copyright © | Year Posted 2023




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Date: 8/26/2023 2:51:00 PM
I guess choosing your own time would be preferable in such circumstances. You depict a love of life that only few could imagine. Knowing the inevitable, yet feeling lucky to be the one of the 5 to have your space suit on, is questionable. Being a whimp. I would have wanted to go quickly as the other 4 did. This is a remarkable piece of poetry Terry. A fave
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Terry Ireland
Date: 8/27/2023 1:07:00 AM
I think this was inspired by some pf the scenes from 2001, A Space Odyssey. Fascinating thought - would you cling on or make the choice? Thanks Wen
Date: 8/26/2023 2:09:00 PM
wow! you've described this quite brilliantly, terry! you had me riveted...
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Terry Ireland
Date: 8/27/2023 1:09:00 AM
Thanks ilene. Have always been fascinated by space travel and the hazards of it

Book: Reflection on the Important Things