“A LOVER OF ASTRONAUTS”

By John Grey

Until now, she’s only loved astronauts

and, as I stare into her dark eyes,

a jet stream of disappointment streaks behind her.

She’s listening for that countdown

in my groping embarrassed silence,

the explosion of takeoff

in nervous, ground-hugging words.

Here I am

at the end of a long line

of adventure seekers,

a guy apologizing for his normalcy.

I can only point to the stars,

not come from there.

My life lacks the boosters

to escape my gravity.

She’s been with men

who cruised the galaxy,

showed her Earth

as a lonely spinning ball.

How could she ever love

one of its lonely spinning people?

 

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident. Recently published in Midwest Quarterly, Poetry East and North Dakota Quarterly with work upcoming in South Florida Poetry Journal, Hawaii Review and Roanoke Review.