CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

This week’s verse moves from a fantasy poem about a ghostly queen, to an apocalyptic science fiction verse about people surviving a planet-shattering invasion. It is taken from Another 365 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2019. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------   The Escape Clause Time thunders, the mountains shake free Birds lift in panic and away from the quake the animals run, for their lives are at stake. The ground breaks beneath the eternal shaking Landslides and rock slides break free of the slopes freeing the ships buried for so long, freeing our hopes For the planet is breaking apart as we stand here, ruined by war brought to us from the stars where our enemies hunted our forebears for so long we prepared an escape should they find us alone and find us they have with our allies absent and our world, it is failing w...

This week’s verse moves from a science fiction poem about exploring space to a science fiction poem about why people might abandon a world. It is taken from 366 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2016. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Planetary Relief Outward flows the river of people, past the sky, past the moon and sun, the nearest worlds and closest stars. “Where are you going?” the planet cries. “To a newer world,” comes the reply. “And what of I?” the planet begs. “What of I?” “You have served us well, but now we have to leave. Your water now lies fouled and scarce, insufficient for our needs. The land’s infertile, too hard to fix.” “So you’d abandon me, to the stink and waste, a world broken by your hands?” But they did not reply, gone. Leaving nothing of their presence, but a vapour trail, and engine song...