Questions you’re afraid to ask
swim like libations down your throat—
indigested accidents.
It takes 214 days to get to Mars.
Nothing’s ever easy
except a land called Plenty.
A place you’ll never see.
Trouble charges through your brain
and questions you’re afraid to ask
toll like bells wringing your diaphragm,
rattling your handle,
confusing your ability to settle.
You opt for 428 days, round trip,
plus 12 there to scan the planet
surveying alternate facility sites
for housing future people
after Earth is sacrificed
by the soft buzzing
of humanity’s parasitic dirge.
Brenda Warren 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit The Sunday Whirl.
undercaws 
Brenda, I love the trip to Mars you’ve poemed!
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Brenda, I really like where you took those words. I thought “wringing your diaphragm” was good, until you saved “humanity’s parasitic dirge” for the ending. Wow!
Richard
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Thank you, Richard. Wringing your diaphragm pleased me, too. Mars exploration was fun to imagine….although as your piece mentions, the sacrifices are great, and would certainly wring my diaphragm.
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Oh dear! First of all – I love your take. Second, we both started with the same general idea – a voyage to Mars – but WOW! Did we ever take it in different directions! This one was much more fun for me than #46, which was quite morose, I’m afraid. My #47 is not.
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Yeah, take me with you. I need a vacation about now.
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Brenda, this is frighteningly true. My prediction is that the rich will indeed be able to colonize once THEY have trashed the planet, and we will be left to breathe the dregs of their crap, their industry, their radiation – they legacy to Planet Earth. And if we’re lucky, we’ll manage a “vacation.” This is more prescient than fantastic…
Thanks for great words this week! Amy
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I’m piggy-backing on Amy’s comment. It is mine as well.
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Thank you all for your visits and sharing your thoughts.
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“humanity’s parasitic dirge” – whoa – too close to the truth for comfort maybe … good poem and well-wordled.
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I love how you took us on a trip to Mars, Brenda. That stanza is powerful.
Pamela
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*last stanza* 🙂
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I love “toll like bells wringing your diaphragm”, I can feel it in my gut! I’m pretty sure I won’t be going to Mars, but if I was, I would certainly take some time to explore 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind comment to my post!
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Fun! I would like to go to Mars — if for no other reason than to look back on this beautiful planet. I hope that we can hold off on its sacrifice!
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No little green men? Oh wait we are the little green men! Well wordled!
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You made me never want to go to Mars… great wordle!
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Love the title, Brenda! Pulled me in immediately! So many great lines: “swim like libations down your throat” and “the soft buzzing of humanity’s parasitic dirge” are spectacular!
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Love the last three lines. A clever way to incorporate Mars. I am itching to see what others do, but first must type mine up!
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“Earth is sacrificed
by the soft buzzing
of humanity’s parasitic dirge.”
Wow!… now that is an image! Whoops just glanced up and see Viv has ten off her chapeau – I too salute you madam 🙂
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I’m not sure that the trip there and back would be worth it to me. Nope, I’ll let someone go who is 21. LOL. And I do think earthlings would bring their same habits elsewhere, that Mars would only be a temporary solution. Well wordled.
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Gosh, how I wish we still have a feeling of plenty. I’m not sure if Mars is the solution. What imponderables!!
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Wow! I take off my chapeau to you.
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