The itsy bitsy spaceship
And its tiny, adorable ... aliens?
The first time I used a new hearing aid,
A wee voice said: "Earthling, don't be afraid!
We've traveled through space
To reunite with our race.
Please take us to your nearest tardigrade!"
Note: Tardigrades are AMAZING! About the size of a 12-point font comma, their chubby charm has earned them nicknames like "water bear" and "moss piglet."
Tardigrades are not only cute, but one of the most resilient creatures on our planet (and perhaps beyond?). They have been found on every continent, in just about every type of habitat, from volcano to Arctic ice, from mountaintop to ocean floor.
When conditions get too dire they enter a desiccated, shriveled-up, barely-alive state. Though their normal lifespan is a few months at most, they can hang out in this extreme hibernation for many years. Maybe longer than a human lifetime. Then, soon as they encounter even a teeny amount of happy water again ... poof! they revive.
In their hibernating state they can survive extreme heat, freezing, drought, radiation .... and even the vacuum of outer space!
Is it any wonder tardigrades invite speculation that they originated from another world? Perhaps they arrived as accidental explorers, crash landing deep within a meteor, drifting here and there across our planet, creating colonies wherever they could find rejuvenating water? Perhaps hiding out microscopically for millennia ... just waiting to be tracked down by their kind?
About the Creator
Sonia Heidi Unruh
I love: my husband and children; all who claim me as family or friend; the first bite of chocolate; the last blue before sunset; solving puzzles; stroking cats; finding myself by writing; losing myself in reading; the Creator who is love.
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Comments (13)
This is a great story. I enjoyed this story.I just published a new story . If you want to read my story then visit this link https://vocal.media/motivation/eternal-serenade-a-love-story-painted-by-the-sea
Fun and clever and fascinating OH MY 😁👌
What the heck is a tardi-what? It is real. Still not sure what I just read. Will read again. Tardigrade? Huh!
Hahahahahahahahah this was hilarious! I loved it so much!
They are very cute and your sweet poem gives them life ❤️
This is SO cute! I love your mind, Sonia. And your limerick skills are just getting better and better (not that they were anything less than amazing before). The implications of the "wee voice" is my favorite part, thinking about what you've written here. Amazing!
This little critter sounds like me! Haha. I can survive sooo long in terrible conditions 😂 then just a tiny bit of the ’water’ of joy or love and pooooof…. I’m vibrant and alive again! This was so interesting to read about! A very nice footnote to your poem! 🥰
Wonderfully written and so interesting!!!
I learned a lot by reading your poem but still, can one really know 'em? They squiggly crawl They're just so darned small you need a microscope in order to show 'em.
I would have graded this an A+, but I was a bit tardi with my pen. (Groan. You may hit me now). Fun poem & great information.
I had forgotten about tardigrades, really cool take on this, excellent work on the poem and the informative gloss.
This is so clever and fantastic! Also, I love tardigrades and how annoyingly cute they are haha ☺️
Oh Sonia! I love your sense of humour and the way you weave it in such a meaningful and honourable way! Tardigrades are awesome also and so is this poem! Great entry!