The temperature of the planet‘s atmosphere is a scorching 1,000C, and it rains glass, sideways, in howling 7,000km-per-hour winds.

It rained.
Hot, searing transparencies
Welded too soon to our
Lovely dying skin

The howling thunder
Clapped, ignored, derided
Wreaked its vengeance
Each moment anew,

Anew, anew,
Until agony seemed a respite
Our muzzled minds could only bark
Why didn’t we…