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In Space

At first, it feels like drifting,
But the speed is really high,
Even ridiculous, but the size
Of all of the nothing in between the nothing
That’s in between the tiny things that are
Is even more absurd.
So it will take some time,
And then more time after that.
Mars will pass, rusted, lost if it ever was found.
The least contact takes hours.
It can be a problem, it must be endured.
The tiny litter of the asteroids,
Few find them beautiful.
There will be a gas giant or two,
They are quite colorful, deceptively active.
The emptiness does get disturbing,
But wait for what’s coming:
The Kuiper belt, the Oort cloud,
They have names but they’re nothing.
Maybe a bit of debris will show up,
So distant, so dark, maybe not.
After that is arrival: Space interstellar,
And if the connections and the discussions
Have all been correct, correct absolutely,
Then this is finality: Waiting
Will continue through time until time
And then time and then waiting
Will become divine.

—
Rick McKenzie’s work has appeared in The Yale Review, Mantis, The Round, Pearl, Talking River, and other literary magazines. He taught preschool for many years, then worked as a park ranger. He enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities.

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