To know what happenswhen you meet the aliens,
to know you once named methat which you now seek,
knowing that I am not from Mars.
To know that God is a weaponin your vocabulary,
to know you would introduce themto what you have never seen,
to know you expect them tounderstand your accent.
In space, black is a shapeand coincidentally,
it also means disappearance.
It is how you know someone is lostand would never return.
To know what happenswhen you meet the first aliens,
to be sure, seduce them with apple juice,or force it down their throats
until they notice their nakednessand sign a treaty to ship them to another planet
out of shame
They can help plow the snowin exchange for more juice.
To know that your goodwillwould be cheered for centuries,
for as long as the aliens do notlearn your language.
To know you…
You're reading a preview of
The American Poetry Review (Digital) - 1 Issue, May/June 2023