SPACE STATION

What a great day for humankind, the astronauts congratulated each other

Behind mirrored-glass visors and thick synthetic gloves

Natives of several countries, they gathered

To find life in outer space on the international space station

They ate exotic foods prior to departure

Lazing in deep space, find comfort in the earth that seeps from our bodies

We will soon search for the outside in each and every orifice

Pores, nostrils, ear canals, digestive tracts, windpipes and urethras

We will weave into one another simply performing

The daily tasks of intergalactic flight

To regain our sense of permeability, possible escape

Love made so primitive on such super computers

Photographs of home dissolve in these passing light years

Constellations of dye float weightless, without memory

Someone will complain to head quarters about the glare

The aluminum foil and neon lights overexpose these dreams of home décor

We have begun to cover portholes with curtains made of clothes

We are naked but we dress this space as if it was our home

There are microphones and cameras that record our every move

And research into the search for extraterrestrial life

We have beds with patterned linens, but instead we float as globes of tangled bodies

To orbit once more on a universal axis, to enjoy that familiar home seasickness

In our space station, all the world appears this way, at least at this stage of the mission

We are pleased to report to our donors that we have gathered glimpses into the beginnings of early alien life.