by Julia Griffin

“Mysterious shiny monolith removed from Nevada desert…
“MYSTERIOUS MONOLITH!” a police department post on X said.”
—The Guardian

Hurrah for the shining, itinerant post,
The Monolith, ever mysterious,
Appearing wherever we thirst for it most
(And thirst in Nevada is serious).

Three cheers for the eerie one, mirroring back
The loneliest spots you can grab it at,
In Spain, Wales, Romania (who can keep track?)—
But desert’s its natural habitat.

We’re told that it’s plural—believe if you choose;
We’re told it’s manmade—is that probable?
Of course it’s the line the conventional news
Fobs anyone off with who’s fobbable;

But when you’ve considered its sheerness and sheen,
The luck you’ll require to achieve a view,
The fact its arrivals have never been seen—
You’ll find those beliefs quite naïve of you;

And though I concede that there isn’t a word
That offers a rhyme for or on or with,
I’ll say it again—let the echo be heard:
All hail, the Mysterious Monolith!