Sherry Gloag

The Longest 'Piggy-Back Ride Quatrain Poem


Out of a need, perhaps of greed,
A dream of me was born.
With scribbled lines on paper drawn
First came the tiny seed.

These goals became reality
And nations certified
All information classified
In their need for unity.

Across the globe their work began
To have me 'done' in time,
In pristine climates, free of grime
For me to reach Titan.

They put me through all kinds of hell
Assured I wouldn't break.
The heat, the cold, and then the quake,
Before disaster fell.

They shook me till I broke in two
And had to start again.
With figures run to ascertain
Just what they had to do.

They decked me out in glitt'ring 'gold'
To save me from the heat;
With no words spoken of defeat
Within this scheme so bold.

On Cassini I was 'strapped'
And sent beyond the stars.
No journey's end for me, at Mars,
For Titan's still untapped.

For seven years I've had to ride
Upon this 'piggy-back'.
And now's the time to get on track
For fear I may collide.

This atmosphere is quite unknown
That I am going through;
My time's now come to accrue
The data from this zone.

Success is mine, of that I'm sure
I've done what's asked of me;
Transferring knowledge, that's agreed,
They couldn't want for more.

The impact on this moon's unknown
My mission's quickly done;
While work on Earth hast just begun.
In years it will be known

* * * *
Cassini was launched on 15th Oct 1997
Huygen was released on Christmas Day 2004
and landed on Titan on 14th Jan 2005
(Copyright Sharry Gloag 2005)