She shows me how to strip the engines
without losing course or velocity,
I reminisce about programming
life support systems.
She tells me the names of all the constellations
and the stars within them,
I explain how to cook okra properly
something my mother taught
all her daughters.
She’s seen stuff, bad stuff
well I have too, but I can’t say that
yet.

I’m afraid to ask where she comes from,
she’s afraid of passing ships.

We meet in the canteen,
we both like lemonade.
She once said
“I got lemons in my life”
and I think I understand.
Our thoughts about each other
dance round and round and round.

At Jupiter Station, she took me to an art gallery
that I never knew existed.

Stuck on this ship together
somewhere between Jupiter and Mars
we rub along with the other crew
acknowledge the thing between us
that connects and also
keeps us apart.