29 | A Tiny UFO | Editor’s Contribution
caught in a bottle
the flashing firefly
— a tiny UFO
the bagless vacuum
emptying it
— UFOs like beads
near the compost bin
caught in a spider’s web
— a tiny UFO
bug zapper
showering sparks
— a sooty UFO
barely noticeable
in the rose’s center
— a tiny UFO
Editor’s Note: I was inspired to write these and many other UFO poems after reading “Inventory,” a wonderful poem by the very talented Canadian poet Irina Moga (who, I am happy to report, is now the recipient of an important French literary prize). “Inventory,” which was published in the debut issue of The Flying Saucer Poetry Review, is about tiny UFOs found around Lake Ontario. It is this poem that introduced me to the concept of a tiny UFO. Before, I had not thought of UFOs as being anything other than large, or very large objects. The concept of a tiny UFO provided an exciting new perspective from which to write. Irina was happy to hear that her poem had inspired my own UFO poetry, mentioning the ecology of creativity, the influences that shape our writing.