Christmas Traffic (Advent poetry)
I came across this poem today in getting ready for Sunday. I appreciate the juxtaposition offered here, as might many of you space geeks that find yourself in faith communities preparing for Christmas.
Three, two, one, liftoff
Signals Mission Control. And off they go
To the dark parts of the planets
In their pressurised spacesuits,
Cocooned in technology, the astronauts.Mission control whispers in someone’s ear.
Yes, she says, I will. And in due time
A different traveller makes a quieter journey,
Arriving hungry, naked, but true to instructions,
Docking on Earth, taking the one small step.
“Christmas traffic” by U. A. Fanthorpe in Consequences
Calstock, Cornwall: Peterloo Poets, 2000.
Image by NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org
