Ballard's gone.
Le Guin, Aldiss
and Octavia, too.
But I'm still here revisiting fairy tales,
reframing Greek myths,
and trying to find the flourish and promise
of continued survival in invented dystopias
that feel a little too close
to the current day.

But it's not just me. Peer
group, writing group, critiquing
group, everyone I talk to online
and at conventions. All those I read
and respond to. Grab a hold
of the baton. Carry it aloft awhile.
Wow, what a great idea.
I wish I'd written that.
This is what I came into the field for.

Pick up the pen, gently
strike the keys, get the idea
down fresh. Consider. Revise.
It's not rocket science,
but it might be rocket fiction.

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