As the hurricane raged through the tropical bay 

I watched interstellar travelers at the spaceport café 
Glued to the toxic glow of AI's and holo screens 
The oil spread rainbows in the floodwater maelstrom 
And neon hues ran crazy in the haloed streets 
The spacecraft glinted like a promise in the night 
As I zombied through the terminal and boarded my flight 
I escaped the heavy rains, looking for new worlds to explore 

My reverie was ended by the jet engine’s roar 
Blasting off into space, we headed for the stars 
To unravel the mysteries of MARS 

Passing space stations, mining ships and solar storms 
Sun mirrors, satellites and meteor swarms 
We docked at the barren outpost on Phobos at last 
Like a scar-faced monster with volcano eyes 
The red planet loomed above the military base 

And emerged in the bubble of a biosphere world  
Met my Zoe on the platform for the high-speed train 
Glided out of the submartian lava tube maze 
And the cinnamon haze of the mountain terrain 
We fell asleep to the sound of the rumbling cars 
While the dust storm sang the melody of MARS 

In the age of miracles we seek new frontiers 
Build utopian dreamscapes in frozen wastelands 
The off-worlds draw explorers and pioneers 
Millions of miles from our storm-torn home 
But we bring our demons wherever we go 

We rented a rover and crept through the land 
Through rusting dune fields and shifting sands 
Eons of dust drifted ghostlike in the morning breeze 
The storm veiled the badlands, our tinted visors 
And the polar plateau with its kaleidoscope arc 
Drill towers filled the turquoise melt-water pools 
And ice sculptures glistened and gleamed like jewels 
A mirage appeared ahead among canyons and ridges 
A city of illusion, glowing in the dark 
Translucent domes, skylights and bridges 
Hotels, parks and fish tanks, casinos and bars 
All we need for our brand-new life on MARS 

© 2013 Alex Schaetzing. All Rights Reserved.