Friday Poem

The Earth Is A Satellite of The Moon

Apollo 2 cost more than Apollo 1
Apollo 1 cost plenty.

Apollo 3 cost more than Apollo 2
Apollo 2 cost more than Apollo 1
Apollo 1 cost plenty.

Apollo 4 cost more than Apollo 3
Apollo 3 cost more than Apollo 2
Apollo 2 cost more than Apollo 1
Apollo 1 cost plenty.

Apollo 8 cost a fortune, but no one minded
because the astronauts were Protestant
they read the Bible from the moon
astounding and delighting every Christian
and on their return Pope Paul VI gave them his blessing.

Apollo 9 cost more than all these put together
including Apollo 1 which cost plenty.

The great-grandparents of the people of Acahaulinca were less
,,,,,,,,,, hungry then the grandparents.
The great-grandparents died of hunger.
The grandparents of the people of Acahualinca were less
,,,,,,,,,, hungry than the parents.
The grandparents died of hunger.
The parents of the people of Acahualinca were less
,,,,,,,,,, hungry than the children of the people there.
The parents died of hunger.

The people of Acahualinca are less hungry than the children
,,,,,,,,,, of the people there.
The children of the people of Acahualinca, because of hunger,
,,,,,,,,,, are not born
they hunger to be born, only to die of hunger.
Blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the moon.

by Leonel Rugama
from
Poetry Like Bread
Curbstone Press, 1997
translation: Sara Miles, Richard Schaaf & Nancy Weisberg