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A Martian Midsummer Night's Dream by Stewart Stafford
On Mars's pristine ruddy hue, we tread,
Above, stars as adamantine algae spread.
Phobos and Deimos, twin moons fair,
Primeval river beds form a spidery lair.
Dust storms tower above dried-up seas,
A vast red alien desert, shorn of trees.
Oberon and Titania's gamesmanship spite,
Quarrel deep in the Martian summer night.
Puckish antics stir starry lovers' hearts true,
As spells and dreams on tangled paths pursue.
On Olympus Mons, Vulcan gods watch and scheme,
Echoes of old wars fuelling plans extreme;
A Wellsian tome of the tripod Martian foe,
Of invasive seeds, spread to Earth to sow.
In Valles Marineris, where canyons stretch away,
Dead of night gives birth to coppery day.
A frontier vision, both opaque and diamond clear,
Magical flights of fancy on an untamed sphere.
© 2024, Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.
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