Red,
Inhospitable,
Waterless,
Sand full,
Storm-ridden,
Planetary
Neighbor.
Visible,
Identifiable
Even to an
Untrained eye,
225 million
Kilometers
Distant.
Yes, I’d go
In a heartbeat.
Explore placid
Acidalia Planitia,
Marth Crater’s
Western edge, and
Ares Vallis.
Alas, I am
Old.
Not astronaut
Material.
Perhaps, though,
In twenty years
Or so,
Top-rate
Extended care
Facilities for
Elderly
Dreamers
Might open up
On distant
Mars.
Sign me up.
Peace, people!
Places I’ve never been
Are my favorite destinations
I cannot wait to place my
Feet on new-to-me land.
Don’t get me wrong;
I’d have been a terrible
Pioneer.
Scared of snakes,
Petrified of the unknown,
Reluctant to venture
Outside the camp’s
Boundaries.
Still, there is a large
Part of me that needs the
Thrill of driving on
New-to-me roads, of
Treading on new-to-me
Sidewalks, of eating
New-to-me foods.
Like an overgrown
Child on a raucous
Rollercoaster,
For the very first time:
Hands in the air
Stomach in my throat
Wheeeee! 
Antigua, here I come.
Peace, People!
Praying for Eyebrowz 