Earth’s little brother is a runt,
Too small by half,
And twice as slow getting around.
His atmosphere is too thin,
And his surface is cold and dry,
Swathed in the dust of ages.
But there is hope for him yet.
His day is just about perfect,
Twenty-four hours and change.
So, let us make something of lil’ bro’.
We can bulk him up
With some asteroids and comets.
Once he’s put on some mass,
And can pull his own weight,
We’ll work on his aerobics.
More comets are in order,
To create lakes and seas,
And mirrors in orbit to warm them.
Next, we’ll introduce microbes.
Bacteria, algae, and yeasts, oh my!
Then lichens and plankton to be sure.
Higher forms of plant life are next,
Mosses and grasses and the like
Will produce oxygen in no time.
He’s ready for the animals,
Two by two? Don’t be silly.
Thousands and millions are the way to go.
It will take some time
Before we can move in ourselves,
But he’s already looking great.
Though he will never equal his big sister,
He will be vital and beautiful,
But always a little bit rusty.
