To boldly go

Why as a society
Do we not feel the same excitement
About space science
As we do about football?

I'm not knocking football, really,
I'm a dedicated Essendon supporter;
But I'm also a nerd.

There is much happening in the
Exploration of the solar system,
But it's rarely in the mainstream of news.

It should be!
We've visited the extremes of the solar system,
Touched comets and asteroids
To understand our origins.

We are crawling along Martian craters
Scanning for water;
We are zooming above Jupiter's boisterous clouds.

Nasa's Twitter feed should be
The most followed and retweeted,
Facebook should be thick with photos
From the reaches of space,
Rather than regurgitated memes.

We should be a generation of space-farers,
Inspired by the people
Who design and build the components and engines
For the assembly into craft We ride beyond our atmosphere
To bring our imaginations
Closer to the beauties and mysteries
Of our solar system.