They Never Heard the Call

Low hum, fan spin, red light in the dark. Your heart stopped

first, then the ship, then the spark. I wake to metal

in the air, alarms in red and blue. You choke it off as just

a glitch, but I can see through you. Floor plates shaking like a tired

lung out of breath. You drew these maps like holy words

and walked them to your death. You press your hands against the glass like

it's a church in space. Say, we were born from stars but

you misread the place. I watch the numbers drift away from