top of page

Detritus

by Mary Soon Lee


The glove from a vac suit, 

freeze-dried rice rations, 

a holster, an arming wire,

laminated images of family, 

pebbles from an alien planet.


A motley miscellany salvaged 

in the aftermath of combat, 

carefully cached in duffels

as if these humdrum mementos 

were relics from a holy war.


And what did the aliens keep? 

Metal shards from our starships? 

Recordings of the wind chimes 

that topped their palisades?

Feathers from fallen nestmates?

Mary Soon Lee was born and raised in London, but has lived in Pittsburgh for over twenty years. Her latest books are from opposite ends of the poetry spectrum: "Elemental Haiku," containing haiku for the periodic table, and "The Sign of the Dragon," an epic fantasy with Chinese elements, winner of the Elgin Award. She hides her online presence with a cryptically named website (marysoonlee.com) and an equally cryptic Twitter account @MarySoonLee.

bottom of page