And This Is The Moon

Keep this blanket wrapped around you
Because it gets very cold
Even when inside the oxygen bubble
It's a little strange to be having even a friendly date here
When back on Earth I organized all of my dates
Around, well, this
The Moon
I used to make a little joke
I'd say--'Here's the dinner I've made.  Here are the candles.  Music is playing
And this--' and I'd point up to it '--is the moon'

Now I suppose I should point down
But there's something very odd
About saying that and pointing to the ground
I do find that, as they promised
Life does seem to be much more exciting here
But it also seems rather, well, technical
Scientific, you know?
Not good for us romantics
Not all that appealing

Day dates are out
Long walks take you along the same sorts of paths
Past craters and dust
I know all the people by heart
Like old books
Because there aren't that many of us
You're the first new arrival we've had in...
Gosh, has it been six years?

Six years

It was nice to see a new face
Not that I mind the old faces
But it's like...

I was a little nervous to ask you out
Because not everybody
Well, the last woman I asked out
She was our last new arrival
And she, uh...

She went back

She left

Couldn't take it here
Couldn't make the adjustment

I tried telling her
You're very lucky to be here
You don't want to go back there
There isn't going to be a there for much longer anyway
Please just stay here with me and--

...I don't know if I loved her

I'd like to say I did
Because it'd make the story
All the more tragic, but...

I don't know

I just liked having someone here with me

Another normal citizen
Amongst the scientists
And astronauts

That's why they brought me here
So I could be Mr. Normal Citizen
And she...

She was supposed to be Miss Normal Citizen
And when that didn't work out they said--

'Well, we really didn't need two anyway
We just didn't want you to get lonely'

As if I were a panda bear
At the zoo

Or something

So you see, I know you're one of them
Another scientist
And so your purpose isn't
To make me feel less lonely
But...

But I'd imagine even with all the work you're going to be doing
You could get lonely too and...

Sometimes I imagine walking outside the main pod
Outside the bubbles
Where people sit and talk
Like we're doing now

I imagine not being able to breathe
Having the panic of it overtake me

Looking at the Earth
And then just going to sleep

And as scary as it seems
And it's pretty scary...

It doesn't seem as scary
As feeling the way I feel now forever

Lonely, so loney

So...

If you could...

If you could just stay here with me for a second
And, just, quietly, you know, sort of pretend
That we're...

That we're together

I read your bio and it says you have a husband
And kids back home
So I don't want to get you in any trouble
Or make you feel bad

I just want to sit with you here
And look at the Earth
And imagine breathing on it

Imagine being back there
And swimming in an ocean
Or playing frisbee in a park
Or...

Or lighting candles for your wife
And showing her the moon
Right before she collapses in front of you
And you don't know why

And you only find out later
That it was a heart thing
A freak thing
And it's very sad
And you're all alone
And oh, but there's an opportunity

An opportunity to leave everything that reminds you of her behind
And that's, you know, everything
So you...

You go to the Moon
All the way to the Moon

And you still miss her
And you miss...

You actually do, you miss
The reminders

You thought you wouldn't, but you do

Maybe you miss your husband
And kids that way

Maybe you think about the accident

...The accident was in your bio too

They like us to be aware
Of any sensitive topics
So we can avoid upsetting each other

So...

I'm sorry if I've upset you

It just feels nice to talk freely, you know?

We're all here for something
Because of something
To do something
With ourselves

I just wish I knew
What that meant for me

Yeah, it's okay...you can hold my hand

I, uh, I think I'd like that

So...

I guess...

This is the bubble
Those are the valleys
Those are the frozen lakes and the craters
Those are the lab pods
Those are the stars

And this...is the moon

This, I guess
Is it