The End Of the World Did Not Happen…
With children diving under desks
and clouds that looked like angry
balloon animals. From family members
eager to turn your outsides into their
insides. By a souped-up Commodore 128
computer that decided you could be
a delectable source of electricity. Through
a flood of the earth or emotions
triggering mutant powers. During an angry
volcano surprise party under Los
Angeles, angry gods, or angry paratroopers
descending on cornfields with machine
guns. Because of a failing sun or genius chimps
leapfrogging the evolutionary ladder.
Due to asteroids or ozone leaving the planet
with bald spots, tiny dictators in alligator
boots, or time-traveling paradoxes of crushed
monarchs and nations under altered beliefs.
But fear and ignorance could set the table,
a conversation or two, a desire to please,
ash covering the cars of coughing cities,
a step at a time, a castle at a time, a prayer
of blood sky and bowed heads. It could shift
with a moon-sized parable where the one
can save the many. It could be you. You could be
the one.
Martin Ott’s most recent book is a dystopian sci-fi novel Spectrum, C&R Press, 2016. He is the author of seven books and won the De Novo and Sandeen prizes for his first two poetry collections. His work has appeared in more than two hundred magazines and a dozen anthologies.
