A lyrical vision.(Poem)(Illustration)

Genesis is a 300-page epic poem composed by TAE contributing writer Frederick Turner which envisions futuristic human activity on Mars after it has been given a breathable atmosphere, precipitation, and lush plant growth via human climatic engineering. Due to reduced gravity, human beings would be able to fly under their own power on Mars. The following passage imagines a flying lesson.

 
   Wolf stands upon a windy hill, his goggles 
   Pushed up on his head, his gray eyes distant, 
   A sky-dauphin, like Saint-Exupery: 
   Let's listen to him lecture to his students: 
 
   Your muscles were evolved to bear your body 
   Against the leaden gravity of Earth. 
   By now the exercises you have done 
   Have given you that strength again. On Earth 
   You could all jump a meter in the air. 
   Here some of you can leap to twice your height. 
   Now watch Irene. She weighs forty pounds. 
   See: She can long-jump over 13 meters 
   And her hang-time's what? Two point eight? Thank you. 
   That's enough time, you'll see, to take two strokes, 
   And get a glide you find you can sustain. 
   You can all press an easy eighty pounds, 
   Enough to beat the drop rate and the drag. 
   Then you can get your feet into the stirrups 
   And make your flying height. A hundred meters 
   Keeps you out of trouble, and you still 
   ...