I’m going to the moon,

not our own bright steely Cyclops

orbiter, but an Icy Moon – Europa -

turning and turning around Ol’ Red

Eye, the gas giant Jupiter, my name

etched upon a microchip,

to accompany/guard the words

of Ada Limon, whose poemship

is the engineer, her words engraved

on the outside of the rocket...

My loved ones say this is a big mistake –

what if aliens come by in future years

to look me up? I think that would be

weird/unlikely/bad dream code

and say I’ll record this message;

Hello, Robot, I’m sorry but I’m out

just now/dead... because it would take so long

to journey there and back again...

Welcome to Earth, we’re a blue

and green haven and our inhabitants scare

easy – we’ve just seen too many movies – please

be gentle, come in peace and ask to be taken

to our leader, also, if you request to phone home

and tell your Mum you’ve arrived safely,

we’re sort of used to that...

and maybe I’d give them tourist tips of where

to visit, Tour Eiffel, Pyramids and Niagara Falls

and hope my favourite coffee shop was still

going strong (Laynes of Leeds!)

and M&S exists –

and, well, whatever anyone else

thinks of this, I’m jetting off to Europa,

The Big Old Jupiter Moon, with Ada Limon.

___

SARAH WALLIS lives by the sea not far from Edinburgh, UK and has a chapbook out with Boats Against the Current, Poet Seabird Island. Last year’s publications include Paperboats, The Interpreter’s House, Dust and Full House. She was UNESCO Poet in Residence at Skara Library, Sweden, for the month of November 2025, a wonderful opportunity that gave time to work on her new collection in a magical and inspiring place. sarahwallis.net bsky - wordweave@bsky.social