early one morning on a whim, we sped off
in search of a new frontier.
Janis Joplin laughed merrily at us,
her face saturated with sunlight.

i think everyone knew what we were in for
as soon as we passed the Grateful Bed,
scarlet begonias woven into our tresses.
as if Garcia knew why we came,
in that painted town our eyes won't let us forget.

it didn't matter that we got lost,
direction seems less important when
everything you see is beautiful.
And besides,

isn't going in circles merely an excuse
to notice Victorian houses in greater detail?

we found mars' surface
under a highway, Red as ancient clay.
you know there really is water on mars-
it makes for some fine extra-planetary bathing.

i think I've finally found out
where we hoped to journey to that august morning.
and it makes me to chuckle to recall
all of us blasting off in that red explorer,
cosmonauts without a cause.