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moon walk
it takes a long time
to walk to the moon
but it can be done
if that's what you want to do
make sure
first of all
that you're equipped
with good shoes
the last time
i walked to the moon
i was about 11
or maybe 14
i was alone
and bored
not bored
with life itself
that kind of boredom
is walking death
I was just bored
with the day
anyway
i got going one day
about halfway through
the afternoon
may have been about two
or maybe three o'clock
i set out walking
not really
going anywhere in particular
at first
and i walked a few miles
before i decided
to go to the moon
once i had a destination
i picked up speed
and a sense of direction
i walked with purpose
and gained resolve
going first this way
and then that
i knew where i was going
i just wanted to make sure
i made the best time
i remember passing
many familiar places
at first
and then i found myself
entering new territory
the surroundings
still seemed normal enough
in themselves
they were just unknown to me
or at least
they seemed less familiar
many hours or days
seemed to go by
before i entered
the realm of outer spaces
you know
the place between the stars
space wasn't like i anything
i might have expected
not like the movies often show it
and not like science tv
or the pictures we get
from nasa
it was all very strange
with no clear up or down
no honest right or left
no east or west
hard to make a war out there
but i knew where i was
all right
i knew where i was
i was on my way to the moon
it was out front
and the earth was behind me
too quiet
though
no noises up there
in the outer spaces
the place between the stars
just a lot of dark all around
and there was the moon
of course
and a far away sun
to keep me warm
and if i looked behind me
i could see the earth itself
my home for all my years
all around me
in every direction
i saw the tiny bright twinkling lights
stars and more stars
closer and brighter stars
than i had ever seen before
after what seemed like many days of walking
walking and humming some old tunes
cause it was too quiet otherwise
i could see
that i was getting very close
to the moon at long last
there it was
all silver and white
filling my sight
demanding my attention
so i decided to walk
in a bit of a circle
to walk around to one side
so i could catch the moon just right
and not trip or fall
don't want to stumble
so far from home
i turned a little to the right
then slowly worked my way inward
back to the left
a little at a time
until finally
after a very long time
i was able to step onto the moon itself
before you ask
let me just tell you
not a speck of cheese in sight
i know
cause i looked everywhere
nothing like a good walk
to stir up one's appetite
i spent a few lunar days
walking here and there
looking at all the rocks
and holes in the ground
not much to see
really
you see one crater
you've seen them all
oh
some are taller and some are wider
some more perfectly round and smooth
some are all messed up
but you know what i mean
it's the same idea
over and over
gray dirt and rocks
in piles and ridges and mounds
everywhere
i also saw some of the junk
we left up there
from rocket missions
boring stuff
i can see junk anywhere down here
lots of people leave their trash about
a sure sign of human presence
anyway
i got tired after awhile
and very hungry
so i decided to come back
took me a while to find my way
from the moon back into space
harder to tell
on the monotonous gray moon
if i was just walking in circles
but i finally made it
up and out into the spaces
and then there was the long walk home
going home always seems to take
so much longer
don't you think
but all the way home
i had the beautiful earth
always before me
the brilliant promise
of life and oceans
and blue skies
and many adventures
i had never really noticed before
while living down here
how lovely the world itself can be
not the world we have made
in our cities and villages
although that is pretty enough
i suppose
but the world as God makes it
the seas
and wide deserts
and high mountains ringed with trees
beautiful places everywhere
when at last i stepped back on earth
i was glad to be home
i can tell you that much
and glad to be able to live here
in a world filled with colors
among so many living things
and such a variety of wonderful places
so yes
you can walk to the moon
if that's what you choose to do
just be prepared
for good long walk
might want to carry a snack
but as for me
i think i like it better anywhere
right here on earth
Jim
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