i let the bathrobe drop to my feet as the airlock door opens. the great lukewarm bath of nothingness fills my lungs - space takes my hand and leads me to earth's orbit. my eyes are open, my body is stiller than a statue, my heart slows to a crawl, and i float. days and years and eons pass in the blink of an eyelid i can't close, galaxies and debris spiral around me in a dance of celestial worship, and every now and then i admire my naked body in the reflection of a satellite's warm solar panels.
i speed around you at a million miles a second. if you're quick and steady, you might catch me in the lens of a telescope. some days i shine bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, a comet that adores you too much to take its leave. if you do see me, i want you to make a wish and write it on your favorite part of me, whatever lingers in your fantasy.
once i finally grow bored of space, i will return to earth, floating through the ionosphere like a bluejay's feather. whoever catches me before i hit the dirt will get a lock of my hair.