irenic

taken as a threat,
she's wrapped in gauze
and submitted as prisoner
four hundred sixty seven,
though there are only
about half that many aboard,
living.

it's odd,
though,
their arms were raised,
as if to say
'i come in peace'

but,
i suppose,
as i contemplated their leaving
in a flash of light and garbled martian,
that's not quite universal.

Author's Note

irenic: tending to promote peace or reconciliation; peaceful or conciliatory

Reviews

[Mockingbird]

very strange imagery. goes to show what means peace to us doesn't necessarily mean peace to another culture or being. we're so people-centric, and american-centric that we think ours is the only way. i think i may be beginning to see a pattern.