Wednesday's Verse - The Brastineek Survivors

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This week’s verse moves from  an urban fantasy verse about trolls and fairies to a science fiction poem about rescuing survivors from a crashed starship. It is taken from 366 Days of Poetry, a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2016.

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The Brastineek Survivors


Through the skies with engines racing, came the cruiser, cannons blazing,

firing even as it died, falling, starlike, through burning skies.

Dying like an ember flaring, flaring brighter than the sunset’s glow,

falling like a star from Heaven, fighting even as it dies,

with only us to see it falling, only us to hear it cry,

watching as it passes by.



We watched its back trail, barely breathing, hoping none would chase it down,

and, in relief, we watched it, breathing as we saw it barely level out.

Knowing there would be survivors, hoping we could reach them soon,

we mounted skimmer, bike and hover, following on its smoking route.

Barely breathing as it descended, we ran after as it came down,

seeking the survivors out.



There were fewer than what we hoped for, but more than we had ever dreamed.

We opened hatches, pulled them out, hurried them from the burning wreck,

got them swiftly under cover, before their ship’s killer searched it down,

got them swiftly under cover, and, when the ship blew, hit the deck,

avoiding debris, before rising, to take a look at the hole it left.

The dead were of a grave bereft.



We waited ’til the searchers left, our bodies hidden in the heat

of burning spacecraft and rising vapours, fouling the sensors

that did seek, and so were saved the last survivors

of the fight for the world of Brastineek.

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You can find the first two poetry collections at the links below - although there are plans to reissue them with more genre-appropriate covers in the future. The third collection will be released later in the year.


Location: Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

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