POETRY & A QUESTION ~ "The Aliens Have Landed" ~ By: Kenn Nesbitt

THE ALIENS HAVE LANDED!

The aliens have landed!
It's distressing, but they're here.
They piloted their flying saucer
through our atmosphere.

They landed like a meteor
engulfed in smoke and flame.
Then out they climbed immersed in slime
and burbled as they came.

Their hands are greasy tentacles.
Their heads are weird machines.
Their bodies look like cauliflower
and smell like dead sardines.

Their blood is liquid helium.
Their eyes are made of granite.
Their breath exudes the stench of foods
from some unearthly planet.

And if you want to see these
sickly, unattractive creatures,
you'll find them working in your school;
they all got jobs as teachers!

                                                      --Kenn Nesbitt

***

Adam Revet, a young fellow in Class #9630 - Individual Verse, 10 and Under, recited this poem in the Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival.  We happened to be there that afternoon, waiting for Alisdair's turn on stage, when Revet presented his recitation to the adjudicator. The boy also performed it again at the Gala Concert Friday evening, in Logie Hall at Third Avenue United Church.

***

On Saturday morning, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix had a large full colour photograph of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the front page.  He had been campaigning in Saskatoon on Friday and coverage of the local event, got Alisdair thinking.

"Mum," he asked.  "You know how they say that if an alien landed he would say to you, 'Take me to your leader?' "

"Yes, " I said.

"Well, if you did come into contact with an alien and they asked you that question, who would you take him to see? Your Member of Parliament? The Prime Minister? Or the guy that runs the Province?"

"You mean Premier Brad Wall?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's him!"

I had to admit, I had never given that question any thought, and I wasn't sure what I would actually do if the unlikely situation arose.  Later, Alisdair was taking the paper to one of the houses on his route.  "Hey, there is another leader you could take the alien to visit," I told him.

"You're right," Alisdair said.  "I could also take him to see the Mayor of the Village of Neilburg!"

Later, when we returned home, Alisdair contacted three of his grandparents and asked them who they would visit with their newfound friend, Mr. Alien.  He got a variety of answers.

And so, dear reader,  we pose the question ~ "Who do you think the Alien should meet? A local leader?  A provincial or state representative?  A federal or national figure? Perhaps a reigning Monarch?  Or some other powerful political person?

... "Take us to your thoughts!"  We look forward to your comments.