Martian Landing, Fishtown
And then what if they moved into row houses?
In this old-fashioned, ethnic neighborhood,
The ship, like cymbals pulled apart, would set
The three-eyed Martians down, their slender voices
Chittering like squirrels or background noises.
They’d be the quiet neighbors: ‘50s odd.
Before long, they’d know: “How are you today?”
And cover their third eye with a beret.
In any event, they’d like the neighborhood.
Hip. Better food. A younger, tattooed vibe.
Eventually, they’d start a Martian trend.
I’ve heard that they prefer to eat what’s found
In green things: avocado, broccoli rabe.
The real estate’s gone up. The music’s good.
Kim Bridgford is the director of Poetry by the Sea and the editor of Mezzo Cammin. Her three-book collaboration with visual artist Jo Yarrington, The Falling Edge, will be published shortly, chronicling their trips to Iceland, Venezuela, and Bhutan. Bridgford has recent work in Literary Matters, Measure, and Cherry Tree.