Metaspace

by A.J. Dalton / May 18th, 2025

As Putin politely nods
movers and shakers
make cocktails
and circulate
amidst chit chat
bang bang and the child
catcher with his twitching nose
joining elite villains
poolside and ringside
watching on
oddly entertained
as bomb-lit skies silhouette
finger-rabbits above Ukraine
the heavens a shadow theatre
of missile-direction and ageless actors,
a Hollywood of Mings and Moriatis
Vaders and Voldermorts
Lecters and Lucifers
Zods and Zabaniyyas.
It seems there are no heroes
who have been invited
–or they’re running late.

A.J. Dalton is a UK-based writer. He’s published the Empire of the Saviours trilogy with Gollancz Orion, The Satanic in Science Fiction and Fantasy with Luna Press, the Dark Woods Rising poetry collection with Starship Sloane, and other bits and bobs. He lives with his monstrously oppressive cat named Cleopatra. Read other articles by A.J., or visit A.J.'s website.

This article was posted on Sunday, May 18th, 2025 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.