[the Writing of Kuypers][JanetKuypers.com][Bio][Poems][Prose]

venture to the unknown 2010 Janet Kuypers (poetry converted to prose)     I’ve always loved the idea of being in outer space, so when my chance came to be a part of a crew to explore a foreign land to do what no man has done before I... I jumped at the chance. People ask me what it’s like to be in space, see a new planet. it’s hard to explain all of the details, there are so many you forget, like when you see the sun in the sky, you even see Earth in the distance, it is still dark where you are. the Earth’s atmosphere makes the sun’s light omnidirectional, but here the sky is black too, even during daylight. Without the Earth’s atmosphere, the stars are always out, there are so many stars in the sky, so many asteroids, you can even see the dust in the air. The Earth’s atmosphere is insulation that stops us from seeing all in the universe.     They create gravity in parts of the space stations to help people acclimate themselves but in some stations you have to always hold your equipment because it can float away... and when we go for mission walks every step disturbs the land. dust and dirt explodes with every motion. it’s a fragile, delicate balance we try to strike when we venture out into the unknown. Copyright © 2010 Janet Kuypers. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted without express permission.