Throwback Thursday: March 4, 1865

A war, once dreaded, was now in full swing,
As, reelected, he stood up to swear
To serve for four more years, to do each thing
He could to re-unite those in his care
Among whom he did number rebel foes,
And those in bondage yet, and those who fought,
And those who could no longer, and for those
Who had been left behind by men who'd not
Survived. "With charity for all," he said.
We'll bind the nation's wounds, we will do all
Which may achieve and cherish peace. The head
Which birthed these thoughts was soon, itself, to fall,
But on that day in Washington D.C.,
He re-enforced commitment to stay "We."

Weird Wednesday: A Disguise Might Have Been Preferable

To keep their daughter safe was not enough.
They could defend her while they were alive,
But one life each had they to lose. The stuff
They'd gotten, that would let their darling thrive
E'en after they were gone, so it was said
Would hide her very nature. She'd be fine
And healthy, but forever would seem dead
If only she held still -- though she'd be blind
And deaf  whene'er she did so. The exchange
Seemed worth it, for their enemies were strong.
So Icelyn grew up taking it. But, strange,
One day she dosed herself, but got it wrong,
And now lays lifeless? Senseless? Will she stay
Like this forever? No one now can say.

Terror Tuesday: Watch Your Step

The streetlight flickered once, and then went dark.
The moon was lost behind the thickest clouds
Of winter. Lena's snow boot scuffed a mark
Hacked into curbside ice. The slightest sound
Would carry through this silence. There was not
A breath of wind. She tensed, stopped in her tracks,
And softly cursed. Already she felt hot.
Beneath the earth and surging through its cracks,
It rose,  a geothermal force endowed
With vast malevolence was now awake,
And Lena knew it. With a scream so loud
It hurt her own ears, she ran, felt a quake,
And all her body's water turned to steam.
No one was there to hear her final scream.

Monster Monday: But How Was the Cheese

Well-treated, stalled, and carefully well-bred,
Contented, calm, serene and picturesque,
Pall's herd were of the best stock,  never fed
On grain,  just grass and clover. From his desk
(Great-grandpa's), Pall ran dairy like a boss.
Then came that dewy morning when the sky
Erupted. Pall recorded not one loss
To meteor impact, at first, but by
Week's end, he noticed something wasn't right.
His girls had grown in all dimensions, and
Their milk glowed golden, like their hides by night,
While each, beneath her cowbell, grew a gland
That let them exhale flames to suit their whim.
His Kaiju Kows were soon the death of him!

Superhero Sunday: Barred Again!

Somnambulist, that villain, had at last
Performed a deed for which there could be no
Forgiveness. He had penetrated vast
But poorly guarded systems, there to sow
A soporific spewer deep within
Wind City's only H2O supply!
The population, dangerously thin
From malnutrition (from another sly
And sneaky plot), too swiftly did succumb!
A city fast asleep was open to
Whatever he might do! But then came young
Barista, caffeinated, zooming through
Each household, stirring all to wakefulness
With percolator, drip machine or press!

Sci-Fi Saturday: High Fashion

"These coveralls we wear, they have no style!
No sex appeal, no shape, no cool details.
I hate them!" Tammy's grandmother's sad smile
In silence let the girl rage on. "It fails
On ev'ry level!" "Well, what shall you do
To fix things?" "I've been studying design,"
Quoth Tammy. "Y'all are sad. Not one of you
Has seen the opportunity!" "They’re fine,
And functional in zero gravity."
"Oh, there you go again. Who really cares
'Bout that? Most people've never felt it. We
Should make cool clothes that float like us, with flair!"
Months later, the first fashion show in space
Created a newshipboard marketplace!

Fantasy Friday: Spited Faces

The last of all the unicorns had died;
The pow'rs that ruled the world they'd shared had banned
Procedures that would save her (they had lied
Unto the People, as they long had planned.
The folk belief was that to save a beast
Of this rare kind, a human's life must end).
Now at the long and awkward, final feast,
The people realized no one could mend
The harm done to the world. The unicorns
Kept death of a most awful kind at bay.
Without them, soon the world would come to mourn
The passing, yes, of light itself -- the sun
Did only turn toward Earth to watch their fun!