Conspiracy Theories, by Vince Gotera

Balanced/Unbalanced Beaks, by Fletcher Benton (USA) 1993. Photo by Vince Gotera.

Conspiracy Theories

Did a giant child drop a toy, red hoop
and stick, frozen forever, spinning yet 
also standing still? Shards of vermilion

shrapnel fixed in air, a wild gyroscope.
Into an angry sky, strange banners lift
muffled alarums, a million alien 

warriors landing their spaceships. But surely 
not? Just some welded metal in concrete,
you say. Are you sure? A space invasion
could never happen, right? Fake news, clearly.
                                     Or is it a warning?

​Vince Gotera

Vince Gotera was Editor of the North American Review and Star*Line (Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association). Poetry collections: Dragonfly, Ghost Wars, Fighting Kite, and The Coolest Month. Recent poems: Crab Orchard Review, The Ekphrastic Review, Philippines Graphic, Rosebud, Multiverse, and Hay(na)ku 15. Blog: The Man with the Blue Guitar (http://vincegotera.blogspot.com).