Modern Astronomy 101

Doctor Murphy told us he doesn’t believe

in UFOs. He sketched equations over-head
showing the likelihood of aliens
coming to Earth from billions of light years away

to make crop circles, no less, and go home.

Maybe we came to class hung over,

sweat pants baseball caps. Late.

But equations. Equations can see
The Wind Cries Mary leave Hendrix’s guitar
in colors and waves, hit your inner ear and
fire the synapse that gives the urge

to close your eyes and rock.

One equation showed the likelihood
aliens could travel faster than light
without micro-waving to death.

Another showed the likelihood
they’d be able to stop a space craft moving that fast

without crashing into us.

He turned the crank and laid a transparency

of the Universe, black with blurs like bits of rice.

Murphy said with so many suns

They must exist. But

our planet’s just a boat rocking away

in a black sea. We’re a climber stumbling sideways

through snow and aliens may be a helicopter

with a search light. Even if we could feel their blades

rattle our sternum—if they bothered

to send out a search team at all—

they’d surely never find us.