Thursday, April 29, 2010

Across the Universe

Stephen Hawking warns us
against extra-terrestrial relations.
He thinks it would go badly for us
since aliens always want to be the top
and they never call
once they’ve trashed your world.

Our other searches for intelligent life
have left us wanting.
Maybe we’re looking in the wrong places
or we’re not patient enough.
Maybe we should search for
our own contentment here
sending out our most seductive music
and letting the right one find us.

~ J. D. Mackenzie

(inspired by D.S Apfelbaum’s NaPoWriMo Day 29 prompt, Front Page News)

13 comments:

  1. I like the seductive music idea. Always best to have the aliens mellow before they arrive.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maybe we're not intelligent enough to look in the right places?! But yes, we should aim to be content here before we try mucking up some place else.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am an extra terrestial and I am not at all threatening...then again not all humans are threatening either, but most are and the same goes for my lot as well.We are no worse than you are.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Some scientist once said (I forget who) that if any music should be played through the radio antennae, it's J.S. Bach. Not exactly seductive, but then, who knows what alien seduction might be like?

    ReplyDelete
  5. One man's (or alien's) music is another man's (or alien's) noise. I hope there is something pure enough that all beings find beauty in it. Maybe laughter? Maybe compassion? Good poem! Inspired thoughts of the universe.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is such a pleasure to open your blog and find something that interests every now and then:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. a most enjoyable post... hawkins is most entertaining at times... i wonder does he have a pocket full of pixie dust and if so has he ever used it... a life in the day

    ReplyDelete
  8. I like the parallel between the finding of extraterrestrial life and romance. Nice work!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I see we're both on the trail for intelligent life! Great message and very witty first stanza.

    As for my putting BP execs w/White House folks in my post (which I didn't even like): I've been a real Obama supporter since the get go, but I find some irony in the White House thinking they can help clean up this problem...and BP...what the hell are they even trying to do? What the govt needs to do is put strict regulations in place & enforce them so that this type of disaster doesn't get repeated. Ugh...it pisses me off!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Me as well. I spent a summer in Cordova on the gulf of Alaska after the Exxon Valdez. There are few small environmental disasters. This one was huge, and the current one is as big. We're on the same page, and it's a sad read.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The search for extraterrestrial life, specifically your line"Maybe we're looking in the wrong places..." reminds me of a Terry Bisson short story I love: "They're Made Out of Meat." Check it out if you get the chance-- I think it'll be up your alley!
    http://www.terrybisson.com/page6/page6.html


    Also, some folks made a short film out of it, too:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaFZTAOb7IE

    ReplyDelete
  12. I still remember the images of the wildlife, birds in particular, washed ashore covered in black oil from the Exxon Valdez spill...and the accidents are still happening...so what has this intelligent species learned?

    ReplyDelete
  13. from Therese -- Ah, great idea to write about the Hawking comments! They were all over the news. I think that poets are extra-terrestrials in some ways! Some of us (me?) are air-heads at times!

    ReplyDelete