Sci Fi Saturday: The Pilgrims

The aliens' religion made no sense
Until Wade Poppy stole the new device
That Doctor Grimes invented (at expense
Beyond belief) that, when activated twice
Sent pulses to observers' brains that made
Beholders see themselves when looking at
A stranger of another species. Wade
Gained entry to their Temple Ararat
(It's not known why they built there). What he saw
Explained it all. Their ancient god, a twin
To Ronald Reagan without e'en one flaw,
Was why they showed such ecstasy when they
Met humans. They had come to earth to pray!

Fantasy Friday: A Sad Lesson

The schoolroom "pet" that year was not a beast,
But was, in fact, a lemmintree that grew
Upon the window sill, where it faced east
And filled the school with scent from its pale blue
And brown-eyed flowers, 'til they dropped. The fruit
That grew from then on started yellow and
Then deepened. When mature, each, like a flute
Emitted lovely notes. They formed a band
That played enchanting tunes at sunset. One
Sad day, though, they fell ripe and ran away.
The class gave chase, and thought it was great fun,
Until they reached the cliffs above the spray
Of Mora's sea. The lemmins rampaged on
Despite the weeping children. They were gone!

Throwback Thursday: The Impact of a Prank

Hans Liebaum raised a wolf cub, sweet and tame
And most intelligent. It almost spoke
As humans did, Hans swore (he had no shame
About tale-telling). One dark night, a joke
Occurred to him. He taught his lupine friend
Its part, o'er months, until a village fair
Nearby their woodland home came round again.
That night a full moon shone. Without a care
Hans danced a merry jig beside the fire,
Called out "what's that?" and when the people turned
Swapped in his wolf, dressed in his clothes. The shire,
Astounded by this magic, nearly burned
The square. The legend born on that wild night
Lives on in werewolf tales. Don't let them bite!

Weird Wednesday: Not in Wonderland, Part XIX

The scene they left, the rifle and its girl,
Is best left undescribed. Tea parties should
Have nicer endings than a haze and whirl
Of lead destroying their whole neighborhood,
But such are things out in the deadly waste.
The jackalope with two heads would have peace
From squabbles at the very least. In haste,
Though, Alice hadn't checked her ammo. Feast
Then famine for her weapon. That's why Gas
Survived and now was at her side, a stream
Of promises, apologies, too fast
To comprehend. He'd built a head of steam
'Til Alice stopped her striding. "Gas, you know,
Just shut your mouth." It only took one blow.

Terror Tuesday: True Terror, Part II

He'd checked a dozen times, but nothing 'bout
That ice cream truck was sinister. Indeed,
The driver was a frat brother. His shout
That first day was expressing his mere need
For beers after his shift; soon Cooley'd made
A great new friend. But then came rain that would
Not stop. As his child grew, the plans he'd laid
Proved problematic. Roads washed out for good,
Thick mold appeared on ev'rything, his wife
Had allergy attacks that almost killed
Them both, and still the rain fell. "Eff my life!"
Said Tad (the ice cream man) on a quick break.
Come see this massive earthworm! Why'd you shake?'

Mystery Monday: Her Voyage, Part IV

Of course, my younger son and I went to
The town of Digby, there to see if she
They called Kris Pollard really could be who
They claimed. The woman certainly could be
My sister; she looks just as Krissy did
At age sixteen. My sister, though, is twice
That age (and then some). Too, this ageless kid,
She knows us not. I took her wife's advice
(Each generation, she has found it best
To marry her caretaker, simplify
Her complex mode of life that way): a pest
Gets fewer answers. Now and then we try
A song, a photo, but so far her mind
Connects them to much older things, we find.

Satire Sunday: The Profile Trap

The red corvette sped by, a hundred miles
Per hour on his radar. Trooper Bopp
Flipped on his lights and siren, called to Stiles,
Patrolling just ahead to aid the stop.
A merry chase ensued until the sticks
Had shredded three new tires. The young men,
All brown and Spanish speaking, had no tricks
That Bopp and Stiles were new to. There had been
A pound of weed beneath some coffee grounds,
And forty pine air fresheners hung from
The ceiling of the car, to stump the hounds.
As handcuffs clicked, Bopp crowed "You guys are dumb."
A minivan, old lady at the wheel,
Eased by, its cocaine cargo safe. Good deal.