Much like Odysseus Stranded Far From Home, Sunita Williams Returned Home to the Delight of Dolphins

You embarked on a daring flight,
 To the stars beyond, in the black of night.
With hearts of steel, you set sail,
On a journey that would seal your fate.

Your mission was brief—a mere eight days,
In space, and then back to Earth’s embrace.
But fate had other plans in store,
And your spacecraft’s troubles kept you ashore.

With thrusters weak and leaks that bled,
The Starliner faltered, and hope quickly fled.
Instead of a swift return to the skies,
You stayed in orbit, watched by countless eyes.

Nine months you spent in weightless grace,
Your bond with the station, a floating embrace.
Spacewalks and science, you did with might,
Carrying out tasks in the cold, dark night.

The Earth below spun, unchanged, unaware,
Of the duo floating, unburdened by care.
Politics twisted, rumors flew,
But “still”, you remained, as the days just grew.

But there were moments, quiet and long,
When the silence was thick, and the hours went wrong.
No gentle breeze, no bird/in flight,
No bubbling brook or mountain path in sight.

In the cold metal walls, you paced and sighed,
Ached for the feel of the Earth, the sun at your side.
Boredom crept in, listlessness took hold,
And the endless void felt bitter and cold.

You dreamed of walks through the forest so green,
Of winding trails, where pebbles could be seen.
But there you were, bound by the stars,
Far from Earth, distant and far.

Then, one day, in the soft Gulf air,
A capsule descended, your journey laid bare.
With smiles on your faces, you came back to land,
Your odyssey complete, held in steady hand.

In blue waves, you splashed down, to cheers and light,
A saga of space, now ending in flight.
Though time had stretched longer than you’d dreamed,
In your hearts, an ember of adventure gleamed.

Your mission uncertain, yet boldly pursued,
A tale of resilience, in space so renewed.
For in the vastness, you carried on,
Four eyes in the sky—now safely home.

Much like Odysseus, stranded far from home,
You faced trials and tribulations alone.
Wandering through voids, uncertain and wide,
But steadfast and strong, you turned the tide.

Just as the dolphins in the seas did play,
To greet your return at the close of day,
They danced through the waters, a joyful sight,
A celebration of your odyssey’s might.

A modern epic, though its course had swayed,
Your courage, like Homer’s, never betrayed.
Though the voyage was long, and the trials were dire,
You rose from the depths, your spirits afire.

Now safely returned, as the dolphins proclaim,
Your journey—a history that bears your name.
 A tale of endurance, through cosmic skies,
 Two astronauts home, with stars in your eyes.

---

With one foot in Huntsville, Alabama, the other in her birth home India, and a heart steeped in humanity, writing is a contemplative practice for Monita Soni. She has published hundreds of poems, movie reviews, book critiques, and essays and contributed to combined literary works. Her two books are My Light Reflections and Flow through My Heart. You can hear her commentaries on Sundial Writers Corner WLRH 89.3FM.