substrate.
so much time is spent
on proper preparations for explosive engineering
permit possession, equipment appropriation
crisis management, waste removal
plans [b] through [f]
but nobody ever foresees a rock withdrawal
grey haze particulate
the air is thick
whispers deep and tactile
like echolocating heartbeats in a bathtub
out of reach
out of touch
distant
solaris & icarus ii & discovery one
we are mentally onboard you all
alone and unaware
checked out
jettisoned
marooned
...selfish
how strange, this fog
how full, how heavy
how foolish, they were
how lost, we've become
all because we never took the time to fully appreciate the soft earth beneath our feet
to fully grasp how rich the soil was
to fully understand the breadth and intertwining of the surrounding roots
we will escape the mist, the dust (eventually)
we will be intact (mostly)
but rest assured
we will never again take for granted
our mountains
our boulders
...our rocks