Dark Matters
Poem - by Monica Louzon
If the space between us
is filled with dark matters,
let us shine brightly and burn
them away, let us illuminate
the chiseled edges of our meteor
faces and throw into sharp relief
the carved hollows of our nesting places.
If the space between us
is instead a dark matter,
let us suit up, hoist the sails,
barrel across that nether distance
at lightspeed, break its honeyed barrier
before we step onto a moon to absorb
contrail-etched constellations
speculating overhead.
When the space between us
is dark matter,
we mustn't let it linger—
we must seek out the new dawns
in its explosive particles,
use their strength to fight the gravity
welling beneath us, navigate solar flares,
ride them into luminous futures.
Monica Louzon
Reflections in Space, poem, Issue 41, December 15, 2017
Dark Matters, poem, Issue 56/57, Fall/Winter 2021
Monica Louzon (she/her) is a writer, editor, and translator. Her translation work and fiction appear in—or are forthcoming from—Constelación Magazine, Curiouser Magazine, The Dread Machine, and others. You can find more of her poetry in Honeyguide Literary Magazine, Octavos, Quatrain.Fish, Three Line Poetry, and more. Follow her on Twitter @molo_writes.
Get to know Monica...
Birthday?
An odd time of year with most unpredictable and inconsistent weather.
When did you start writing?
In first grade. I certainly couldn't spell "survive" or "poisonous", but I had some truly epic responses (with accompanying illustrations) to those English class writing prompts.
When and what and where did you first get published?
"Reflections in Space" in NewMyths issue 41 was my first paid publication.
What themes do you like to write about?
Points of convergence and confluence, challenging boundaries, and blurred realities.
What books and/or poems have most resonated with you as an author? Why? How do these stories and their characters find expression in your work?
Anything written by Ray Bradbury, Peter V. Brett, Monica Byrne, China Miéville, Philip Pullman, and Tamora Pierce makes me want to write. To me, reading their prose is like jumping into a swimming pool of imagination filled with glorious words and reveling in how wonderful it feels.
Twitter? @molo_writes