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On a red, sandy desert world Stand exotic ghostly trees Limbs reaching to the sky |
On a red, sandy desert world Stand exotic ghostly trees Limbs reaching to the sky Like arms pleading for succor. White slender branches Looking like skeletal arms, Raised, begging for relief From the scorching sun. Sand-blasted boulders Are the only form of cover, For any living creatures In the near-endless day. Tunnels around the boulders Show where animals once lived, Or perhaps still reside Ready to kill intruders. Yet, as the burning heat Almost melts their very flesh, Human visitors consider Whether to risk the tunnels. Stranded on a desert world After their starship crashed, What other choice is there To survive the furnace-like sun? But as they enter the tunnels Strange screeching rings out, As giant arachnid creatures Scuttle dreadfully toward them. Two of the stranded die Shrieking in pain and terror, But the others escape the tunnels Back into the scorching sun. Soon, as daylight is fading They all return to their ship, Hoping to survive the night Needing rescuers to come soon. THE END © Copyright 2023, Philip Roberts Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |