Space: The Final Frontier
swarming
with eager thespians
of wood in sixties costume
Power-mad, intelligent
and peace-mongering,
they trek a sex-life
minus genitalia
It’s all in the mind
or on the bridge
Pride and shame in homosapiens
inspired by misanthropic aliens
and helpless class ‘M’ planets
the gamut of emotion flows
while we eat our tea
in TV astonishment
shields down and stunned
…these coordinations on my mark…
Enterprising excursions speed
streaking, light-blurred
in winking silence
beamed aboard the diplomatic mobile enclave
assumed in orbit
if Scotty can keep it there
a few more hours -
when all we have are minutes
and seconds, logged away in space…
Ah, written 1993 for an anthology. They set the theme - which isn't allways a good idea for me. Never. It's never a good idea. No-one said "Paint Starry Night, Vinny babes". Not comparing calibre, just pointing out how some of us work. Finding this again made me laugh. Suprrised me. They'd printed it wrong in the book and I had to cut one word; otherwise it's just how it appears in Out OF This World by Anchor Books. isbn 185930 174 6