The Man Who Failed To Sell The World

[MystyrMystyry]

'Over there' I say, pointing

'The red one?'

'No,' I shake my head
'The blue one on the right'

'Earth?' it enquires
quizzically. 'Actually that makes-'

'Sense?'

'I was going to say difficult,' it
rolls its antennas. 'But also sense'

'It's not a bad place', I explain
'You just have to know where to go'

'Mmm - I go the other way'

'There are islands that are quiet -
with animals you can find
nowhere else'

'Hmmph'

'And sunsets like nothing you've
ever seen or even imagined'

'Not for me'

'It's mainly salt water with all
kinds of floating darting things'

'No thanks'

'You can't see it from here but
on the other side there's a moon-'

'Uh huh'

'Totally variable weather to keep
it interesting - icecold to sizzling'

'Some other time'

'And there's all these colourful types of life
evolving from the same basic molecule'

'Sounds fascinating'

'It is - it really is! And there are rainbows
after the rain and trees the tallest anywhere

'Not today'

'What?' I bluster 'What is it? Why does
nothing entice you?'

'I've been there - and seen all the things
you've described'

'Then what?'

'It stinks..!'


We zero in in silence

The hatch opens

I beam down

And wave goodbye

[deryk]

Are you a big fan of Douglas Adams by any chance?

"It's mainly salt water with all kinds/ of floating darting things" made me laugh profusely.

I think you've done a rather humorously good job at depersonalizing our planet.

[everyadventure]

Earth as a piece of real estate: impossible to unload. Yeah, I believe it :) Your pieces always make me smile.

[MystyrMystyry]

deryk - after reading your comment I was reminded of the beginning of So long and thanks for all the fish but that wasn't the intention - just the way we view our home mightn't be the same for intergalactic species, a gentle turn on the alien invasion: they might be militaristic warmongers, but also location snobs - and easily find an excuse to avoid invading, a reason that we consider one of the wonders because we have senses developed to appreciate the myriad odours, scents, and even stenches we dwell among and encounter every day

[MystyrMystyry]

Every - see above, but also thanks for noticing that it was meant to be humorous - I wasn't sure whether to include the 'man' giving him the finger as part of the farewell salute, or having him say: 'Same to you, feller, same to you...'

In the end I decided that it would dilute the original intention - you've no doubt been in a house where you've thought There's something not quite right... 'What's that smell?' without realising the owner hasn't noticed because they're used to it - that was what I meant