Ysangra

before you ask, the answer’s no.
I’m not from around here.
what gave it away?
the color of my blood?
the strength of my teeth?
the way I say shibboleth—
everything about me screams
of elsewhere.

sometimes,
when my eyes are distant,
know that my mind is
light-centuries away,
thinking of home—
Ysangra.
know it and shiver
at the long dark between.

the sky of home is
a color you cannot see
purple-hot and glowing,
and when I walk in fields
of reed-grass,
the almost-flowers bruise
and the air fills
with impossible aromas,
sweet lemon-mustard-peony,
spiced cinnamon-dill-pepper.
your air is so thin and pale.

my home-tree grows tall
in a city-grove of people
who sing in the morning
and guard the water-wall
from scavengers
that seek our life-strength
to destroy it,
to consume it—
we are bred for war, you know,
our instinct to defend
through attack.

and now you ask me why I’m here,
across the endless stars?
I bare my teeth—
(what you would call a smile?)
stretch forth my claws to envelop you—
(embrace? word-concepts do not always
translate as they should)
and exercise diplomacy—
(I know that one!
the art of telling lies):
I come in peace.

line count: 49

Prompt ▼

Prompt for: Sept 20, 2015 (fyn) <---her turn but Ren did it!
Subject or Theme: You are an alien from another planet. Describe your planet. The title of your poem should have the name of your planet in it.
Word(s) to Include: scavenger, dark, mustard (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): planet, space, universe, travel, alien (or any derivatives of these words)
Additional Parameters: Don't forget to use the name of your planet in the title of your poem. No minimum line count.
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.