Aidan Daniel
Roadkill Astronaut
small baby stiff-bodied
upside-down and on
its neck, stunted
little-limbed creature kit with soft fur
legs stuck out like
an overstuffed animal (what a way to go)
side-of-the-road wide mouth crying
asking, calling to skyscraper-space
somebody come and find me
the first man to float freely in space
(the way to the future) was tethered by a cord
less than two inches thick, for twelve minutes
he walked dark expanse
boots filling with sweat, he bled oxygen from his suit
to reach the airlock, his mother’s voice
seeping from memory into anti-air, he answers
if for some reason I don’t make it home
somebody come and find me
Aidan Daniel (she/her) is a writer and visual artist from Virginia. She received her MFA from Randolph College, where she studied poetry and fiction and was assistant managing editor for Revolute. Her work can be found in Shenandoah, Booth, and the many scattered papers on her desk.
