Indian River

Summary

The poem "Indian River" depicts the life of an astronaut's wife who waits for her husband's return while he pursues his mission to Mars.

Abstract

Set in a bar along the Indian River, the poem tells the story of a woman married to an astronaut. While the locals frequent the establishment for oysters, beer, and her fiery presence, she reveals her identity as the wife of a space traveler. Her husband is on a journey to colonize Mars, leaving her to wait by the marshes. Despite her vibrant personality, she acknowledges his preference for the celestial over earthly companionship. As the night winds down, she reflects on the astronauts' lofty ambitions and the inevitable fall that awaits them, all while maintaining a sense of camaraderie with the bar's patrons and a quiet reverence for the risks her husband takes.

Opinions

The astronaut's wife feels a sense of solitude and abandonment as her husband prioritizes his space mission over their marriage.
There is a nostalgic and melancholic tone regarding the astronauts' pursuit of space exploration, hinting at the potential cost of such ambitions.
The poem suggests that the astronaut may be more enamored with the adventure of space travel than with his life on Earth, including his relationship with his wife.
The bar serves as a microcosm of life's dualities, juxtaposing the grounded, everyday existence with the extraordinary endeavors of space exploration.
The fire in the wife's hair symbolizes her passionate and vibrant nature, which contrasts with the cold and distant realm her husband chooses to inhabit.

Barmaids and astronauts

There’s a bar on the Indian River With a view of the rockets’ red glare. The locals go there for the oysters and beer And the woman with fire in her hair.

She says, I am an astronaut’s wife As she slides a glass over the bar He’s blasted aloft for the time of his life On a mission to colonize Mars.

I’ll wait for him here in the marshes Though I know his heart is up there He’d rather spend nights with the moon and the stars Than a wife who has fire in her hair.

In the bar on the Indian River Where the regulars stay until two She rings the last call and swaps jokes with them all Then quietly murmurs a tune...

The higher you fly, boys The harder you’ll fall In the end, you’ll be buried In spite of it all.

I’ve seen you all lift off And head towards the sky But the flame in your hearts, boys It cannot survive, Indian River.

POETRY

Indian River

Barmaids and astronauts