The Wisconsin sun sinks,
And the moon takes its place.
A little boy hides beneath blankets,
And dreams of outer space.
Where sniffles and sadness can't touch him,
And homework is left behind.
Where he finally sleeps, and always keeps,
That world that lives in his mind.
Blasting off in a homemade rocket,
With a walkie talkie he keeps in is pocket.
Rainbow buttons of colour and lights,
That beep and buzz throughout the night.
A hand-drawn map and an old Sat Nav,
Are the best navigators he'll ever have.
So he trusts his gut and journeys on,
Until the Earth behind him is almost gone.
But suddenly! All systems give in,
And the little ship starts to spin.
Hurtling towards an unknown star,
Into the distance, crashing afar.
He carefully opens the rocket door,
Seeing something no-one's seen before.
Not dust, or rocks, or old grey sands,
But instead a paradise right where he stands.
With wobbly, misshapen houses,
In pinks, and golds, and blues.
Made of jelly beans and candied dreams,
And any treat you could choose.
And the roads were made of Lego tiles,
A random pattern that stretched for miles.
Matching together like jigsaw parts,
Making diamonds, stars, and tiny red hearts.
And from the ground, wild flowers grew,
Blossoming and smiling just for you.
In the most vivid shades of forest green,
With the prettiest petals he'd ever seen.
And up in the sky, the morning birds sung,
Fluttering, pecking, and protecting their young.
With marshmallow clouds of the purest white,
Meandering beneath the sun's soft light.
With animals of every shape and size,
The fluffiest fur and glittering eyes.
Playing together hide-and-seek,
Holding their breath, sneaking a peek.
Catching his eye was a sign that read:
'Welcome to our little homestead'.
These words brought a smile to his face,
As he gazed around his new favourite place.
Then out of nowhere, bounding at his feet,
Came a little dog who was lively and sweet.
A husky, a terrier, or a mix of the two,
Certainly a friend, that much was true.
With big brown eyes and a contented sneeze,
That made the little lad drop to his knees.
Reaching a hand out for the first hello,
That was the start, little did they know.
And a tag around her neck in a silver shade,
Read: 'Laika' in letters that would never fade.
So the pair raced forward, side-by-side,
The breeze through their hair with every stride.
Reaching a mossy hilltop, and a simple sunset,
Collapsing to the ground, cuddling with his pet.
A little pile of joy, a shiny lucky charm,
Who gently fell asleep within the warmth of his arm.
Under the twinkling stars, they both drifted away,
Back to Earth, his place of birth, to dream another day.
Where people go to school and work, and wake up at 7am,
Back to normal things, and all that brings, and what it means to them.
Upon waking the next morning, the boy felt very alone,
Homesick, like it was all a trick, in a bed as cold as stone.
He thought of Laika, his head in hands, and when she was about,
If there was one thing he would've wished to bring, it was her without a doubt.
In heartache and defeat, he tossed his covers to the floor,
And to his surprise, opened his eyes, to hear a peaceful snore.
He flew up from the depths of his pillows, and looked towards his toes,
Where Laika the pup, had followed him up, and came to kiss his nose.
