Manifesto

By John C. Mannone

We are desperate for life
to be found outside our
comfortable homes here
on this planet. We send
messengers to the outer
reaches of our solar system
—robots with test tube eyes
see 200 atom-heavy molecules
on Saturn’s Enceladus
geysering from a subsurface
ocean, icy plumes feathered
with biochemistry—life
essential molecules speaking
no words, only facts.
Our conjecture is at least
as clear as political banter.
We are experts at posturing—
made of many chemicals
much bigger than those
and laddered with the right
codes for human engagement,
though some links are missing.

We search for simple life
elsewhere, yet we cannot
coexist among ourselves
without destroying everything
we have.

Author’s Note: Inspired by the June 27, 2018 breaking news, “Complex Organic Molecules Discovered on Enceladus For The First Time: It has everything needed to host alien life!” by Michelle Starr. The original work is cited in Nature, “Macromolecular organic compounds from the depths of Enceladus,” volume 558, pages 564–568 (2018).

John C. Mannone has poems in Artemis Journal, Poetry South, Blue Fifth Review, Peacock Journal, Baltimore Review, Pedestal, New England Journal of Medicine, Intima, Annals of Internal Medicine and others. He’s a Jean Ritchie Fellowship winner in Appalachian literature (2017) and served as Celebrity Judge for the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (2018). He has three poetry collections and has been nominated for Pushcart, Rhysling, Dwarf Stars and Best of the Net awards. He edits poetry for Abyss & Apex, Silver Blade, and Liquid Imagination. He’s a professor of physics near Knoxville, TN. Follow him on Facebook and at The Art of Poetry.