You did not drown
slipping into a shallow
methane mare,
but a tiny tear in your suit
let your air trickle away
while I trudged through
organic sludge searching
for you.
After the accident,
you were different,
not quite yourself –
a tree submerged
in a lake, leafless branches
green with water,
an altered version of you
that may or may not
remember me.
(This poem first appeared in Asimov’s, March/April 2021.)
Lauren McBride finds inspiration in faith, family, nature, science, and membership in the SFPA. Nominated for the Best of the Net, Rhysling, and Dwarf Stars Awards, her poetry has appeared in dozens of publications including Asimov’s, Dreams & Nightmares, and Fantasy & Science Fiction. She enjoys swimming, gardening, baking, reading, writing, and knitting scarves for our troops.
Published 2/16/23
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