Aliens

By Sophie Bala

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I believe in aliens

because the idea we are alone is the saddest thought I can imagine

a single blue planet full of life

alone in a vast uncaring universe

I look up at the stars and I can imagine a infinite amount of cold dead space

an empty void full of rocks and chaos

Or I can believe in life I can’t even begin to imagine

a whole new way of communication and thinking and being

a whole world of new discoveries and new connections
 

perhaps hundreds of worlds

It’s cosmically lonely to imagine that there's nobody out there who knows more than us

but I feel comforted by the thought of neighbors

somebody else trying to figure all this out

somebody that might succeed even if we fail

partners across the abyss of space working for understanding

working to find each other.

Originally published 03/09/18