There Are No Imagists on the Moon

by Greg Beatty

Living on the moon
just as much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow.
Sure, it gleams with
meteor dust, isn't
glazed with rain,
but the dependence
stands,
beside the dome. Except
that so much will
depend upon other
things as well. Air's
not free. Water's
rent from rock.
All will be starkly
imagistically beautiful, but—
if someone tried one
of those
I have eaten
your plums blah blah
notes with lunar
supplies, you
will die. For these and
eleven hundred seventeen
other reasons, loonies are
partial to formal verse.

Copyright © 2005, Greg Beatty

Greg Beatty has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa, where he wrote a dissertation on serial killer novels. He attended Clarion West 2000, and any rumors you've heard about his time there are, unfortunately, probably true. Greg writes everything from science fiction poetry (winning a Rhysling this year) to reviews of books that don't exist. When he's not writing, Greg teaches for the University of Phoenix Online. Greg recently got married.