The Robot and the Unicorn

There's been a lot of talk about human missions to Mars. I have a different perspective as you can see below.

THE ROBOT AND THE UNICORN
 
The robot wandered our desert
preparing for the exploration of Mars.
The creatures chirped and yowled
“Who is snooping in this paradise of ours?”
 
They agreed that wily coyote
should talk to this blinky thing.
He asked, “Are you smoking peyote
or are you under alien programming?”
 
The chastened robot turned to go
when a galloping creature with a spiral horn
pulled up in a cloud of dust
and proclaimed, “Yes, I am a unicorn!”
 
The unicorn said to the robot,
“Believe in me and I’ll believe in you.”
The robot blinked and clinked and replied,
“Fine, let me tell you what is new.”
 
“I’ll search for ways to live
on the barren plains of Mars
and someday I will travel
to the planets of the neighboring stars.”
 
The unicorn spoke confidentially,
“Everyone loves me
so we should travel together,
wouldn’t you agree?”
 
“What will you do?” the robot asked.
“We must stay alive.
With no food on board,
how will you survive?”
 
The unicorn smiled and said, “I do PR, my man!
I can report from the boring mission
stories of mystery and charm.
From you the logician and me the magician.”
 
“We unicorns absorb energy from the sun
or from whatever star is near
like you do from your solar panels
so come on, let’s get in gear.”
 
Now outer space is a lonely place
and a stranger sight you might never see -
the robot and the unicorn
exploring a dead Martian sea.
 
They set up their antenna
and broadcast to Mother Earth:
“Your lights are glowing in deep dark space.
The source of all hope and progress
is Earth and the human race.”
 
 © 2019 Larry Kilham