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Lorraine Mariner

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Extra-terrestrial

The first boy I ever kissed was an alien.
My mom always says Honey you were six.
Can’t we put it behind us? But since then
kissing humans, well, what’s the big deal?

She says that a lot for all the good it does.
I’ve heard Michael say it too, to Elliott.
He doesn’t start by calling him honey though.
He might get more of a reaction if he did.

These days it’s pretty hard to get Elliott
to react to anything. Mostly he just hangs out
in the backyard by the tool shed just in case
tonight’s the night he comes back for him.

He won’t talk to dad on the phone when he
calls from his Mexican retirement condo.
After he’s asked if I’ve finished my star theses
and about Michael and the kids, there’s a pause

and it’s How’s that other brother of yours,
still being a bum? If it weren’t for mom I wouldn’t
talk to the old guy either but she’s on my case with
I can’t put you through graduate school alone.

I guess it’s good for my motivation though,
planning what I’ll say to him when I get
my doctorate. Like, how would you feel
listening to your kid sister droning on about

solar eruptions knowing that you passed
on the chance to visit planets she can’t imagine?
Like, when you’re ten years old how are
you to know that we live in a world where

your dad simply gets bored with your mom?
And that after that night, nothing you could do
would ever come close to the way you felt
flying your bike across the face of the moon.

 

Page(s) 53-54

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