Rocketboy

By  Daniel Aristi

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Rocketboy
Is made of three stages, of three sacrifices
Mangling the body for the head
To reach orbit
 
The legs ignite first, steady at the knees, booster temple columns
Of fire and when they
Combust, when it is truly on
And clouds pierced, oh
This is so good Houston
 
Now jettison legs for splashdown, still kickin’,
With orange chutes. And it’s the torso burning at the waist.
The heart pumps LOX
Until it’s spent, too, then it comes back
Fast, faster, empty breastplate down like a hungry lesser god and
Makes a crater in Siberia
 
Head
Is now safely geostationary.
The mouth is round open, like a docking ring for someone else
Far away from us.