by Michael Calvert

“Debris from a large Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives … The possibility, however slight, that debris from the rocket could strike a populated area had led people around the world to track its trajectory for days.”
—The New York Times

I rose today to greet the light
With something close to glee,
Because I was not crushed last night
By red-hot space debris.

It’s just a little thing, I guess,
To make me this elated,
But I’m darn happy, I confess,
I’m not incinerated.

I’m safe from space junk (well, for now),
And as I always say,
Not being dead’s exactly how
I like to start my day.