THE ALIEN IN THE LIBRARY

I’ve been watching him for several days –
His funny looks, strange furtive ways;
He moves around the sci-fi section –
Then sits and reads the crime collection!
Then when I said ‘Are you ok?’
He shrugged his shoulders, walked away!

Then he returned, still by himself
And took his seat at the sci-fi shelf!
He looks so strange, such glassy eyes
And odd expression – worldly wise!
He stays all day, never eats nor dozes –
Leaves just before the Library closes.

He stares at me with eyes strange green –
What other worlds has this man seen?
Does he know what I think I know?
If I speak again, he might just go.
And so I work on while he reads.
He seems to have no human needs.

But now he’s standing next to me
I feel afraid – why should this be?
He’s leaning, whispering in my ear:
‘I still don’t know why you are here
But you’re not of this Earth I’m sure –
I’d love to have you tell me more’.

I’m pretty sure he means no harm
But I’m found out, can’t raise alarm –
The Library’s closed now – we’re alone
I tell him of my distant home,
Of landscapes, windscapes, kids and wife –
Then touch his hand, and end his life.

This is not how it was intended
But now it’s done, and can’t be mended.
We’ll learn from this, me and my men
I will not let it happen again.
For this poor bloke it is too late
In future, we must co-operate.