Space Incarnation Poem by William Marr

Space Incarnation

Rating: 5.0


Many would take it
as the midway station to heaven
nineteen hundred miles up
can heaven be far away?

Some would even think
that sixty three million years
is eternal enough
especially for those hopeless potbellied souls
knowing that it's impossible for them to pass through
the tiny eye of a needle
here, God is not
the Final Judge

Of course there are details to be worked out
for instance, should there be racial segregation
like that in the old South Africa
so as to preserve the purity of the ashes?
or, as long as they can afford to pay
should even dogs and cats be allowed?

A Houston space service company has a plan to send human ashes into space. According to the plan, ten thousand human remains will orbit the earth at a distance of nineteen hundred miles for a minimum of sixty-three million years.

(1985, Chicago)

The Chinese translation:

太空輪迴

許多人會把它當成
到天國的中途站
一去一千九百哩
天國還會遠嗎?

甚至有人會認為
六千三百多萬年
已夠永恆
特別是那些
自知鑽不進針孔的
便便大腹
這裡,上帝不是
最後的審判者

當然還有些細節需要考慮
比如,搞不搞種族隔離
像南非一樣
以保持白骨的純粹?
或者,只要有錢
阿貓阿狗都可訂位?

附注﹕報載美國政府已批准休士頓一家太空服務公司的申請,用火箭載人類的骨灰
上太空。根據計劃,一萬多個骨灰將在離地球一千九百哩的軌道上至少繞行六千三
百萬年。

Thursday, September 19, 2013
Topic(s) of this poem: human condition,science fiction,world conflicts
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Dr Antony Theodore 29 November 2020

should there be racial segregation like that in the old South Africa so as to preserve the purity of the ashes? or, as long as they can afford to pay should even dogs and cats be allowed? human ashes into space..? ? very good poem. ton y

0 0 Reply
William Marr 01 March 2016

Chinese translation: 太空輪迴 許多人會把它當成 到天國的中途站 一去一千九百哩 天國還會遠嗎? 甚至有人會認為 六千三百多萬年 已夠永恆 特別是那些 自知鑽不進針孔的 便便大腹 這裡,上帝不是 最後的審判者 當然還有些細節需要考慮 比如,搞不搞種族隔離 像南非一樣 以保持白骨的純粹? 或者,只要有錢 阿貓阿狗都可訂位? 附注﹕報載美國政府已批准休士頓一家太空服務公司的申請,用火箭載人類的骨灰 上太空。根據計劃,一萬多個骨灰將在離地球一千九百哩的軌道上至少繞行六千三 百萬年。

0 0 Reply
Adeline Foster 02 October 2013

Cute, cute and Ha-ha-ha. Interesting explanation. Adeline

2 0 Reply
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