I think I'd like to be
A Jesuit on Mars
To soar through that black, airless sea
And evangelize the stars

Perhaps some child of the red sands
Awaits the Word of God
They'll gape in amazement as I land
In my ecclesial space pod

Some of the Martians would love peace
And live in crystal cities
But those walls would keep out beasts
That hunt men without pity

Unwalled wilderness I'd choose
I would not know this and I'd go
And seek to even further sow
The seeds of the Good News

I'd learn the curious Mars-beast tongue
And write a dictionary
While under salmon skies I'd run
Happy for now, but quite unwary

Alas! With monstrous coils and fangs 
The enemy would catch me
And slobbering with hungry pangs
Would make plans to dispatch me!

I pray I would not try to run
From the glorious martyrdom
I'd want to stand up tall and true
But likely that's not what I'd do

I'd say, "You think I'd go down tastily
But don't make such a choice too hastily"

My sorry lie would be the worst
I'd tell a fib so wrong and vicious
I'd say, "Eat Daniel Leckman first
I hear that he is quite delicious"

Then I'd request to be transferred 
Perhaps to a moon of Jupiter
So I think that I would like to be
A Jesuit … but cleverly.

  Reprinted with permission from Ibo et non Redibo