space cadet

Friday night at McDonalds with her family. She wants to go into the play place, but it’s closed for the night so instead she eats standing up in hopes to rid herself of the energy her mother so angrily hates. Seven years old, maybe eight, and a natural space cadet; staring off into space, witnessing the stars and planets orbit the galaxy around her. A lone astronaut, tethered to the homeship but the airlock is broken, and her crew can’t be bothered to fix it. Drifting further away from everything she knows; the stars brighten her hope for the future. She hasn’t quite come to terms yet with the fact that she’ll be stuck in oblivion forever; her hope is that others will save her. Locking eyes through layers of windows I manage to see right through her helmet and like everyone else I see my reflection; except it’s still her. As large and vast as the universe is I was able to stray far enough to find another stranded astronaut. Just like me, she sees right through the reflective material and witnesses what she might become. The broken cord attached to my suit scares her, for she knows one day she’ll have to cut hers. I remember when I had that fear but the relief of being free made it all worth it. Four seconds total and we knew everything about one another. We’re both just stranded astronauts afterall. Even infinity has no room for individuality