Chicken Little (or: On Learning Scientists Tried and Failed to Stop a Hypothetical Deadly Asteroid in an Exercise)

by Aaron Sandberg

What hope did we have
that skies wouldn’t fall?

Or that we’d be able
to hold the skies up?

I fear we knew
no wisdom here—

the learning curve
we couldn’t bend

even when
we saw it coming.

The moment of peace
is closing your eyes,

but the end
is the same as the start—

how all gods tear
through atmospheres,

disguise, cease,
create, or destroy,

take aim at all
our countdown hearts.

We ignore
the ruthless truth:

Everything
comes for us now.