Sowing tomatoes elsewhere

We filled the belly of our spaceship
with the final soil our mother carried
and to ticks of Geiger counters we
slipped into the upper decks of our ark
and left the gravity of radioactive death
behind. We raised the standard starsails
entered proper coordinates for that projected
dwelling science had proposed:
A planet, almost blue, a perfect pebble
as the sphere we turned to dust;
unspoiled it waited for the child you
carried yet inside your womb; you said:
“We should spend our time to teach
her to be kind, to not wage war, and
if she ever reach the second earth
to bury us with shame”, I smiled and took
your hand, we gazed at stars, knowing well
that views would stay the same until the end
and we would move through parsecs
knowing not if our daughter ever would
sow tomatoes in a garden over there.

Tomato Plant by Pablo Picasso

A second narrative poem for my prompt at dVerse, also for Sherry’s prompt at toads on what we are doing to mother earth.
—
September 27, 2018

23 responses to “Sowing tomatoes elsewhere”

How exciting! I’m so thrilled to have read a little sci-fi piece from you. Great fun!

I feel like I’m on the SS Enterprise. I love the sci-fi….but what are the chances that man will mess up the new planet, also? I loved the read!

WOW! I LOVE this poem, which tells a more hopeful story than one might expect……….I hope she will get to plant those tomatoes, and begin a peaceful race of kind people. I grieve the sphere we are treating so badly, that they are leaving behind. I so loved reading this poem, Bjorn. Thanks so much!

Oh, that’s very moving. All that hope invested in the unborn future.

How prolific of you, sir–serving up both Gothic and Sci Fi. Where do you find the time? This piece had the feel of SILENT RUNNING. Unfortunately, the futurists agree, it’s man’s own nature that is his biggest obstacle.

yes we should be so shamed with what we do to mother earth, maybe another species will educate us. I am reminded of Kurt Vonnegut’s dreams on a distant planet that waged love and understanding not war and strife, a good story for young people to appreciate what we have and be kinder to earth

Hope there is room on that ark for the rest of us, hoping for a kinder world.

I love this sci-fi tale of rebirth and hope, Bjorn, especially the phrases: belly of our spaceship’ and ‘raised the standard starsails’, and the description of ‘A planet, almost blue, a perfect pebble’. I love that they are carrying a new life in the womb inside the spaceship.The ending is ambiguous and poignant.

“We should spend our time to teach
her to be kind, to not wage war, and
if she ever reach the second earth
to bury us with shame”,……………every line from there onward is matchless!

This is hands down the best poem I have read in a long time. It says everything a poem of our time should say. Such a strong narrative basis for your vision; the direct speech is so poignant, and the final line hooks into the emotional value of the whole piece.

Björn Rudberg (brudberg) September 28, 2018 at 10:11 · · Reply →

To me I think we should spend more time to tell stories as poets…

This is so cool.

It is sad to read all these poets verses and to think that the future of the planet is on their minds but not those who are slowly killing it off with the mindless stupidity of a spoilt child banging his head against the wall.

I like the uncertain ending, but the remaining hope.

A species so innovative and with such an exploratory spirit, but alas! Everything they touch turns to dust and they cannot help but destroy everything they touch despite their advanced technology, even their sons and daughters, even themselves. My favorite part here was how your husband took your wife’s hand as they are wont to do, to offer a touch of comfort in the tender time of pregnancy,
“I smiled and took
your hand, we gazed at stars, knowing well
that views would stay the same until the end…”

It’s funny how many read it as a story of hope. And others as inevitable doom. I agree with Glenn: “It’s man’s own nature that is his biggest obstacle.” You can’t outrun it, even to the speed of light.

Very moving!

We have been warned, over and over, and still we don’t listen…(K)

Fantastic piece, in a few brief lines transported in melancholy to the stars. And of course, the questions that trouble us now come with. Marvellous writing – thank you.