Day: November 26, 2024

 
The dual suns
still above the horizon
warm me as I journey
casting the strange landscape
into stark vivid presence

planet Terrius

its orange suns
and black sky
make this alien world
startling
yet fascinating

I embarked at solar midday
senses alive and alert
consumed by the thrill of exploration
heady with anticipation of discovery

reports of Terrians
I believed today I would make contact
I would connect

but it is day’s end
the suns are setting

darkness spreads
over this severe terrain
void of color

early shadows fall across my face
a veiled foreboding settles upon me

there are many shadows here
other shadows
odd shadows
unfamiliar

disturbing specters
that disrupt my nights
disquiet my soul
steal my peace

they come unannounced
almost imperceptible

but no time for worry
there is still far to go

I am eager to move
drawn by the need
to reach my ship

to reach safety

yet here I stand
momentarily motionless
immobile with uncertainty

yet captivated

captivated by the haunting beauty
that is this planet’s rising moon

Astarus

not unlike earth’s
but more harsh

Original digital surreal art: “Astarus — Terrian Moon”
by: rob kistner © 11/26/24

a steel blue glow
with an amber aura

mesmerizing
hypnotizing

I shudder and sober
turn into the evening winds
and venture onward
across this foreign world

again the shadows shift

dull confusion finds me

I lose my pace
draw up in momentary halt

nagging concern engulfs me
panic pierces my solace
bewilderment grips me

unwelcome
it holds me
uncomfortable in my skin

these feelings sweep over me
clouding briefly my purpose
obscuring my destination

finally they waft

across the darkening valley
lies my shuttle craft
my safety

urgently I proceed
but again my mind fogs

I wander
and once more lose focus

an eerie mist
settles like a shroud

every night
there is a moonset
pitch black is coming
coming much too quickly

pitch black is lethal
save for my heated suit

the frightening night noises
unsettling dreams
squander my sleep

I am exhausted

suddenly
an alarm startles

my suit’s battery pack
has failed

my helmet beam
now inoperable
communications dead
suit heater disrupted

cut off
alone
I am in dire trouble

a sense of peril gnaws
builds

paralyzing fear

I have lost all light
oxygen tanks nearly spent
my suit temperature dropping
I fear I’ll loose my way

I will not make it back
before pitch black
consumes me
takes me
alone
here

so far from earth
so far from home
so far
from you

so far

*
rob kistner © 2024

Poetry at: dVerse