Listen In

dish listens in
to what's out there --
a babel of silent buzzing,
seeking contact,
ready to respond --
tuning and retuning
     the distant,
     the farther still,
dwell in that gray area
that eyes mistake for darkness,
     listening
     for any voice,
     all voices to come --
listener waits,
listening becomes all senses,
anxious for meaningful noise,
space-age chatter,
     sits before
     a comatose screen
     awaiting a signal
     to light up
     so many months
     of nothingness --
ready for
whatever can be captured
by that metal curve --
doesn't matter what:
remote planets,
the dying words of razed cities,
     they seek
     even the weakest
     of sounds,
the tiniest squeak,
for them to break out in joy,
toast their ineffable proof --
     there's life out there --
may it do wonders for the life within.