When I was very little. Pluto was Mickey Mouse’s dog. He was yellow with a black, whip-like tail. He was a happy puppy with a curious streak. Pluto was nothing else.
When I was little. Pluto became the ninth planet. It was cold and distant. I always imagined it was a blue, cat’s eye marble floating in infinite black.
When I was a little older, I learned later that Pluto had a moon roughly the same size, Charon. I always pronounced Charon like Sharron, who was my baby sitter. I liked the idea of Pluto having a friend for eternity.
When I was older, Pluto was removed from our solar system. I felt the loss. Suddenly, Pluto had spun outside the close-knit family. It was lost in the net of stars. Pluto was unfamiliar. It was part of the other now. From this loss, I learned eternity was a lie. I was a quick learner.
-Poppy Little, Sadie Lou, May ’09