Invasion

all we can remember is the pain

the shock

the grief

of those first days

days of thunder and shadows

the slinking mantis bodies of our invaders

as they sprayed our cities with their plasma rays

to stamp out any stragglers or resistance

but who were we to resist?

the word wasn't even in our vocabulary

we had to borrow it from our own invaders

oh the shame

but at least we still have our memories of the old days

in the tips of the ganglia in our fingers

where anchor memories are stored

and when I hold your hand, I can remember your city too,

from far across the Great Waters and Time

not in our heads

like the mantis people

who share nothing at all