Titanically Housebound

[Stephen Whiteside]

Titanically Housebound

Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, has a dense atmosphere that protects from radiation, and may therefore be a better off- Earth destination for humans to colonise than Mars.

Now, there’s a thought that’s guaranteed to frighten.
Imagine starting life again on Titan,
Spinning silently ’round Saturn?
If we must transfer the baton
To another world, it has to be the right ’un.

The liquid filling Titan’s streams and creeks
Is methane. They are quite outrageous freaks,
And it splashes off a boulder
Made of ice, for Titan’s colder
Than planet Earth by days, or even weeks.

Now, Titan has a heavy atmosphere.
It’s mostly nitrogen, but have no fear.
It wards off radiation.
That’s a happy situation.
Of course, you’ll need to carry breathing gear.

Scientists are worried and annoyed
An asteroid might strike us from the void.
We would all succumb from cold
Like the dinosaurs of old.
I’ll take my chances with the asteroid.

I do not want a moon, or distant planet.
I feel at home with water, earth and granite.
If they’re heading for the stars –
Be it Titan, be it Mars –
They can text another phone for crew to man it.

© Stephen Whiteside 20.02.2018

[Shelley Hansen]

I love it Stephen!

Bush poetry collides with extra-terrestrials ... now there’s a novel approach!

You won’t see me on the rocket ship to Titan ... far too much risk of a life-and-death encounter with the fart from outer space!!

(For those who are wondering what on earth we’re talking about, Stephen penned two poems for children which saw success at Toolangi late last year ... “The Fart from Outer Space” and “The Fart from Snowy River”. It’s hard to resist the endless opportunities that keep cropping up to include not-so-subtle references!! Fully expecting Stephen Spielberg to snap up the film rights!)

Cheers
Shelley

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks, Shelley. I like to think of myself as a rhyming poet rather than a bush poet. I love to write about the bush and Australian history, but there is so much else to write about it seems a shame to place limits on your subject matter.

[Shelley Hansen]

Absolutely agree, Stephen!

Even under the auspices of “bush poetry” there are endless possibilities, when you factor in “the Australian way of life”, but then beyond that ...

I also have a little stash of rhyming poetry I’ve written that doesn’t fit the bush poetry genre, though apart from my children’s poem “My Teddy and I”, nothing about space travel (so far)!!

In fact, my poetry journey has really only led me to writing bush poetry in more recent years, which began with my desire to capture snippets of Aussie history in verse. My earlier works are much more general in their themes and subjects.

We are a bit like “Den”, aren’t we ... an eclectic mix! I suspect David will relate to this too.

Cheers
Shelley

[Neville Briggs]

The earth is unique and humankind is also unique, we belong together and this place is our destiny. Stephen Hawking has got it all wrong.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Not sure, Neville. Maybe.