12 June 2026 for This Or That, Vol 39 Poetry Contest Deadline: Saturday, July 11, 2026 Sponsored by: Edward Ibeh Inspired by "War of the Worlds" Radio play by H.G. Wells, broadcast on October 30, 1938.
Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Mount Jennings Observatory, Chicago, Illinois. I see a . . . shhh...krrshh...fzzzt... thing, directly in front of me, half buried in a vast pit. It's definitely not a meteor— shhh...krrshh...tssss... it's a huge cylinder. Now there's a hissing sound. Like this: hissss...hissss...kssshhh...fzzzt...hisss... Something's happening, ladies and gentlemen. This end of the thing is unscrewing... shhh...krrshh...whummm...blurrr Keep back, there! Keep back, I tell you! It's come from Mars! Maybe there’s things in there trying to escape... krrshh...shhh...fzzzt...blurr... Wait a minute! I see glowing holes—two luminous disks. Maybe they're eyes? It might be a face. It might be . . . shhh...krrshh...tssss... Good heavens, things are wriggling out— like great gray-black snakes. Now there's another one, and another. They look like tentacles to me. There now, I can see the thing's body... shhh...fzzzt...krrshh... It's large—large as a bear—and shiny, slick and glistening, like it's just climbed from a swamp. But that face, it's .. Hang on, that face... krrshh...shhhh...tssss... it's indescribable. The eyes are black and gleaming like polished coal. The mouth is Zee-shaped, with saliva dripping— black, tarry stuff—from its quivering lip-like things . . . or flaps. Wait a moment... fzzzt...shhh...krrshh... There's spout-like tubes poking out. They're aimed at me... Hang on . . . hang on . . . krrshh...tssss...whineeeee... They're firing at me! Some kind of hot red ray— They're hitting me!... I'm hit.. I'm hit... I'm down! I'm down . . . I'm down . . . SSSHHHH... KRRRSHHH... TSSSSSS... ssshhh... krshh... tsss... hhhhss....... Sorry Folks! We've lost contact with our reporter We'll now return you to our dance music program.
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
