The Final Frontier Indeed, Piporro

Lupito had lost track
of how many trips

he’d made to Mars
or to the moons of Jupiter

whether helping move
scientific equipment

to study the face on Mars
or volunteering on ships

harvesting methane
from one of the Jovian moons.

Of course he missed his wife
and kids back in Texas,

but with so few jobs
back on earth

for a man his color
since the new edicts

became the law
of the land,

space had become
his only option.