Thursday, August 18, 2016

Urgent to Mars



    The message marked “urgent”
    Came yesterday.  So much though
    Was blanked.  Perhaps interfered
    With by a solar flare.  This was
    Likely for why would they not
    Want us to know what was burning?
    Our digital cameras picked up what

    They could, heat signatures around
    The globe.  We studied the photos
    With care.  Most of the earth
    Seemed aflame.  Most of us here
    Thought their Global Warming
    Had at last managed combustion.
    But what could we do?  The

    “Urgent” disturbed us.  We read
    The words again and again,
    Without context, without sense:
    “End, unless, further, along
    Too late to, can’t leave it” and
    “End.”  Our queries were all
    Returned marked “unknown.”

    We will of course try again
    For as long as it takes, but any
    Urgency is there and not here.
    Our ability to achieve planetary
    Escape would be years away and
    Such an endeavor won’t be pursued.
    Our own needs are still water and air.

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