by Robert Laughlin
THE HEROES
The first to touch a planet of another sun:
They came through radiation belts and meteor swarms
And hazards no one told them that they might expect.
A trip unthinkable for any living thing,
Their brains were silicon, their bodies alloyed steel.
Their leader sent the news to Earth, then wrote a poem
To celebrate the feat and mourn their absent friends.
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To save their lives, the human billions back on Earth
Could not have made the ‘bots that made each other now,
Yet stayed obedient to all the humans’ wants.
All safe in climate-guarded towns with every diversion,
All fat from too much food and lack of any work,
The jaded humans got the news about the mission.
They took a minute to say, “Hooray! What heroes we are!”
HIC NEMO JACET
This stone is for commemoration:
Here no one lies.
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My ashes are in stable orbit
Above the skies.
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To honor me as I intended,
Cast up your eyes.
THE PREACHER SAYS
The preacher says there’s no new thing under the sun.
He’s right. In other suns, the race will be renewed.
About the Author
Robert Laughlin lives in Chico, California. He is the creator of the Micro Award, an annual competition for previously published flash fiction. Two of his short stories are MWA Notable Stories, and his first novel, Vow of Silence, is available from Trytium.
©2009 SRobert Laughlin
