space invaders
The name of this poem is inspired by a 1978 video game (screen shot above) in which “the goal is to defeat wave after wave of descending aliens with a horizontally moving laser to earn as many points as possible.”
In my 2022 world, the space invaders I refer to are real and dangerous. They come in many forms: from one person acting alone to convoys to entire countries. No matter their size, they are mean, intimidating and sometimes violent. Fending them off is challenging at best and life-threatening at worst. Those they bully wish they would just go away.
This poem is about that.
space invaders
by susan © 2022
Listen here:
Read here:
space invaders
they come in all sizes,
different colours and shapes
but they have the same goal:
to change your land scape
they don’t like what they have
they crave something more
they need you to provide it
so they kick down your door
they believe that your space
is actually theirs
they invade it and claim it
chop it up into squares
they may hijack your freedom
and/or capture your flag
camp on your lawn
endlessly chewing the rag
they think they’re entitled
to do whatever they want
and if you object
“fuck you,” they will taunt
you put up with their protests
when they take to the streets
you cover your ears
hide under the sheets
and the bigger they are
the worse they behave
bullying victims
into mass graves
they queue on your borders
bomb your cities and towns
send in their armies
tanks and boots on the ground
they kill and they starve
block provisions of aid
plan to win at all costs
with your life you will pay
space invaders they are
the big and the small
they love to see others
with their backs to the wall
space invaders be gone
from our streets and our homes
go back where you came from
and please leave us alone
© 2022 Susan Macaulay. I invite you to share my poetry and posts widely, but please do not reprint, reblog or copy and paste them in their entirety without my permission. Thank you.
