Red Planet – Red Flag

I start early with the promise of launch–

Climbing inside 5000 metric tons of

IRON

CHROMIUM and

NICKEL. 

The caustic current of ionized air

colonizing my sinus space. 

You send metaphoric messages that

dissolve like snowflakes on my tongue–

Secret signals from your encampment

224 million miles away. 

RED PLANET – RED FLAG. 

Forbidden Frequencies, 

implicit functions concealed from Mission Control–

Like heartbeats in binary code. 

If it’s only for my eyes, 

your plausible deniability floats in perpetuity. 

UNDISCLOSED BEACON – RED FLAG. 

Buckled in, breath tight, 

bracing for unfathomable G-force

because that’s what I do for Love. 

T-minus 10 and

Light years to reach a prime number at this rate. 

I bite my lower lip to

draw enough blood to taste metal–

Metal all around me

Metal all within me

Alloys of anticipation. 

IMPENDING DOOM – RED FLAG. 

Shouldn’t it feel better than this?

I twist my hands tightly and look down. 

I’m naked again–

No longer prepared for take off. 

EXPOSED AND VULNERABLE – RED FLAG. 

My blood thrums,

pulsating in my ears and

I watch as gauges flicker–

Low oxygen, rapid breath. 

I whisper your name into the man-made Void of Me–

Ready for Proof

For Entry

For Ruin. 

RAVENOUS RELIANCE – RED FLAG. 

Mission aborted, 

Though 

tomorrow I will 

start the countdown 

again –

Hours to 

trace 

the steps

for a 

successful 

launch. 

Click here to read Poetry Unpacked: On Hope for a deeper reflection into this poem.