sarah masen
the astronaut, upon returning to earth
by selene on Sat Jan 24 19:22:36 +0000 2004 in Melting Pot
everybody dreams of starlight.
like this is some high-tech lover’s lane
or rendez-vous with god -
once the world fits in a window you come back thinking
Bigger Things
peace and poverty in the vacuum.
you land and everone says Wow
what’s it like – Great Wall of China?
stitches, you think.
little lucy on the sewing machine
more artist than seamstress at five.
but you know the drill, say
out of this world
(the puns will kill you)
scan the room for your wife
in the dress she bought
since you’ve been gone
and she looks like somebody else’s lover you don’t deserve.
you’re scared her eyes won’t crinkle
quite the same when you dress the girls in space boots
or she’ll cry when you’re making love.
when you get home your music’s out of vogue,
someone’s started a war and gravity’s done nasty things
with up and down. what if you’ve forgotten
how to ride a bike,
or how to sing a lullaby?
