SPOKEN SUNDAY: VILLANELLE: Recruitment And Its Perils

"A hard, hard thing, the journey into space;

No matter how luxurious the ship.

There's hardships it is best just to embrace.

Recycled air and food, and, for to chase

That down, there's water that has made the trip

Through all your shipmate's kidneys. You must face

These difficulties and much more. And brace

Your fragile self: in order to equip

Our voyage, ere we leave the rocket base,

We must examine you, verify race

And health." The poster read. Undaunted, Skip,

Adventurous and young, signed up to chase

His dreams among the stars, and by the grace

Of unknown gods, he won out, got his chip

(To pay for necessaries). How his face

Lit up; that is until he found in place

Of his small bed, a monster! In its grip

He writhed to no avail. Such was the case,

Of scrumptious Skip, of whom there's now no trace.

A Superwoman's Farewell

A teenager, I first learned that I might
Be more than merely human. How my mind
Did roil with thoughts of power! Then, the weight,
Responsibility was nil. I will
Tell now, though, of all the cost, the loss
That came with power. Listen, for all love!

My first thought was "I can compel the love
Of Darryl Green!" I wished with all my might,
And he was mine forever. At a loss
I am sometimes - he dogs me still. I mind
This very much, and think I always will.
He's on my conscience daily, a dead weight.

My powers grew. I could lift any weight,
Could bring back from the dead whate'er my love
Could not abide to be without. My will
Was law to all who heard me speak. My might
Could overpower any, and my mind
Retain all knowledge without e'er a loss.

As I outlived them all, each single loss
Piled on my heart with ever greater weight.
I did my best to put them from my mind;
The planet's needs came first, and soon my love
Was like a distant goddess's. You might
Find this a cruelty. I'm sure you will.

I tired of all the strife and with my will
Alone I built a fortress, far from loss
And those who would contend with all their might
With law and order's forces, throw their weight
Around in quest for power. I still love
Humanity in abstract, out of mind.

Now as I beam this story to your mind,
O feeble scribe, let this, too, be my will
And testament. I cannot die for love
Nor money, but I'll soon pack up my loss
And migrate to some other world, where weight
And mere survival challenges my might.

Plead as you might, you cannot change my mind.
The weight of years you must bear, if you will
All on your own. Please bear this loss with love.