The below lyrics were inspired by the October 1, 2010, Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) found at this link: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap101001.html The news of an Earth-like planet in our galaxy coming one week after my “Getting Real” scold brought me both hope for humankind’s survival and concern we’d someday send our seed off to destroy another beautiful paradise. Surely we would have evolved and learned from our mistakes not to repeat them when technology allows for interstellar travel? We may be glad to have discovered Gliese 581g, but perhaps she is sad we did….
Glad(?) Gliese (581g) [written to the melody of Cat Stevens’ “Sad Lisa” from “Tea for the Tillerman”]She orbits Gliese five eighty-one, a red dwarf sun
getting cooler, and Zarmina’s her new ruler.
Floating in Libra in the night sky,
g, please don’t be shy.
You’re a plus lass Milky Waying triple our Terra’s mass.
Gliese Gliese, g, Gliese Gliese.Although she’s dense, her gravity’s right. We think she might
(in fact, oughta) hold a load of liquid water.
A wormhole to g, string theory or beam –
we only can dream
now. This new plan, it can mean a future for all of man.
Gliese Gliese, g, Gliese Gliese.
Glad(?) Gliese (581g) [written to the melody of Cat Stevens’ “Sad Lisa” from “Tea for the Tillerman”]She orbits Gliese five eighty-one, a red dwarf sun
getting cooler, and Zarmina’s her new ruler.
Floating in Libra in the night sky,
g, please don’t be shy.
You’re a plus lass Milky Waying triple our Terra’s mass.
Gliese Gliese, g, Gliese Gliese.Although she’s dense, her gravity’s right. We think she might
(in fact, oughta) hold a load of liquid water.
A wormhole to g, string theory or beam –
we only can dream
now. This new plan, it can mean a future for all of man.
Gliese Gliese, g, Gliese Gliese.
She’s twenty light years far away, but still one day
we may live there, praying this time we will give care.
g-whiz, you’re a gem formed from the big bang
(and our doppelganger).
Please take us, when our Earth must finally forsake us.
Gliese Gliese, g, Gliese Gliese. © Kathleen A. Martin
New Albany, Indiana
October 10, 2010