Eratio


 

 

 

from The Roswell Project: poems

 

Judith Roitman

 

 

 

 

[scenario in which aliens live in underground complexes built by the U.S Army]

 

 

find within each other

swarm did not know so many

such smooth

tunnels machines

reconstructed

Other present watching

Other control secret

pact mutuality not

mutual do not

stumble across this

 

 

 

 

[scenario in which aliens move among us undetected]

 

 

projecting image into mind fluid unrelenting what seen expected deviation unnoticed as in mall so even jostled unnoticed such small feet unnoticed what reached for what currency on elevator reaching seen as wished for never more than never recognized seen as what expected exactly what

 

 

 

 

[scenario in which aliens appear in tv sitcom as themselves]

 

 

eyes difficult special lenses protect

also suckers problematic sticking furniture

uniforms easily reproduced

voice-over needed sync to

audience spontaneously

as stumble lurch such large head

 

 

 

 

[scenario in which children encounter a wounded alien in the desert and are cruel]

 

 

mouth in hand small mouth cavity goes nowhere no tubes no vocal no digestive no breathing none — hand in mouth many hands in mouth small child hands pulling what does it do does it do mouth no teeth no saying no tongue just mouth cavity no lips why bother why appear many hands poking small child hands eyes cannot flap no lids big eyes all pupils how do you know where it is looking you would feed it something but how would it eat?

 

 

 

 

[scenario in which the surviving alien advises the president and cabinet in the White House]

 

 

in suit

in tie

in corners

fluttering

half-seen

center

at edges

with gaze

behind curtain

behind door

fugitive

unexplained

ubiquitous

unexplained

phantom

unexplained

unnoticed

unexplained

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judith Roitman has most recently published in Otoliths, Eleven Eleven, Horse Less Press, Talisman and Yew.  Her recent chapbooks include Slackline (Hank’s Loose Gravel Press), Furnace Mountain (Omerta), Ku: a thumb book (Airfoil Press) and Two: ghazals (Horse Less Review).  Her book No Face: Selected and New Poems (First Intensity) appeared in 2008.  She lives in Lawrence KS. 

 

 


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