"Immigrant" - a poem by Abi Sutherland

[sergebroom]

Immigrant
(By Abi Sutherland)

The branching universes take me far
Beyond my devastated world, to one
Where Earth revolves around a living star.
I find my other self. She doesn't run.
I do the thing, and hide the body well,
And then go home. The keys are in her coat.
The house is nicer here -- mine's just a shell --
But on the mantelpiece, I find a note.
"If you are reading this, I must be dead.
But that's OK. I hope you made it fast.
Just know you're not the first to come instead
Of staying home. Nor will you be the last.
Enjoy this respite from whatever hell
You've just escaped, and in your turn, die well."

Comments

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Wow. A complete SF story in just 14 lines. I'm impressed.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

So was I when she first asked me to look at it, back in December. If you go to Making Light's thread 84, you'll see that Abi has posted this poem and two other such condensed stories-in-verse.

[tania-c.livejournal.com]

As usual, Abi is fabulous.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

Now, if we could just convince her to write stories in prose... She has copious amounts of free time after all, even after factoring in her two kids, the new job and the move to the new house.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

This is a wondrous poem, though it comes with a freight of pain.