The Dissection

We won the war
Against the invaders.
By accident, of course.

Now several million carcasses
Of the mile-long alien jellyfish
Lie scattered all over the world.

Scientists flocked to study them,
Setting up camps around
The perimeter of the creatures’ bodies.

We discovered their luminous shells
Could turn hard as titanium
With exposure to enough radiation.

Another specimen slammed shut
Like a clam, air tight.
A vacuum seal.

They’d evolved, reengineered
Their own bodies as spaceships,
Immune to radiation.

We should have expected
Weaponry as well.
The first cut into their flesh

With the diamond drill
Released a putrid gas,
Lulling us all to sleep

While converting
Earth’s air
To pure methane.

The remainder of us,
Deep underground in bunkers
Watched as the next fleet descended,

Retrieving the bodies of the Trojans,
Who had already terraformed our Earth
Into their own.

Christina Sng is a poet, writer, and occasional toymaker. She is a two-time Rhysling nominee and her poetry has received several Honorable Mentions in the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. In her free time, she plays the ukulele, dreams of exploring the Andromeda Galaxy, and carves out new worlds in longhand, imbibing an aromatic cup of tea. She can be found on her website christinasng.com, and Twitter: @christinasng.