WHEN the aliens finally
revealed themselves,
we were disappointed.
O they looked
much as we'd expected,
skinny, green, hyperencephalitic,
but they spoke to us
as if we were poor relations.
Yes, they would give
us the know-how to
travel in space, cure disease,
all that, but
it would cost us
5,000 children,
two continents,
and all our chocolate.

Then they made our leaders
sign something
that turned out
to be a lease.