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Poem: “Fermi’s Question Answered”

Fermi’s Question Answered

They’ve come. They’ve come. They’ve found us,
Those Earth-devoted visitors from space
Or somewhere off the world apart and luminous,
It may be in a time not present here or anyplace

Why don’t they come to Earth, descend?
Our leaders, soldiers, dignitaries wait
With florid ceremonial, agreeable intent
And speeches of the pageantries of state

They hover overhead in probability –
Would they not if we were they, come down
To meet the representatives of world community,
The businessman, the politician, and the clown?

And they with senses tuned to what we are
Pick out the infant’s wailing and the agony
Of massacre and famine, torment, war,
And for an unknown reason they delay

Silent fall around us in an orbit
More and more eccentric, low and high,
As if they might proceed at any moment
To leave again without explaining why

Pavel
June 26, 2011


Pavel Chichikov is a Washington DC-based poet and photographer. He has written for both the secular and the Catholic press on issues as diverse as Russian nuclear weapons systems, Olympic athletes, and miracles. His books include From Here to Babylon: Poems by Pavel Chichikov,  Lion Sun: Poems by Pavel Chichikov, Mysteries and Stations in the Manner of Ignatius, and Animal Kingdom. Pavel may be heard reading his works on catholicradiointernational.com and on pavelreads.com. His poetry regularly appears on "The Poetry of Pavel Chichikov."