Aphelion Issue 301, Volume 28
December 2024 / January 2025
 
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Unfriendly Skies

by Aurelio Rico Lopez III


Sorry, sir, we’re out of coffee
Says a touchy flight attendant.
Must be that time of the month.
Twenty-eight thousand feet in the air
Pressure-clogged eardrums
Behind you, a whiny brat.

Sudden lightning storm
Rattling cabin, blinking lights.
Everything’s fine, don’t panic
Says Miss PMS.
Sudden explosion
Plunging towards the earth.
Will someone shut that kid up?

Fiery descent.
Thank you for flying with us,
Enjoy the rest of the trip.


© 2004 Aurelio Rico Lopez III

Aurelio Rico Lopez III is a scribble junkie whose other addictions include coffee, cheesecake, and B movies. His works have appeared in The Blackest Death Vol I anthology, the chapbook Broken Mirrors, and the scifaiku collection Random Planets. In addition, his writings have been published in the likes of Dark Corners, Lunatic Chameleon, Scifaikuest, Beyond Centauri, Electric Velocipede, Dark Animus, Scared Naked, and Just Weird Enough. Aurelio lives in Iloilo City, Philippines.

Find more by Aurelio Rico Lopez III in the Author Index.

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