Happy International Speculative Poetry Day! This year, November 3rd coincides with the 60th anniversary of Laika's historic mission into outer space. (That's 420 in space dog years!) She advanced Earth's knowledge and paved the way for space exploration and much of our modern world today.  Several of our SFPA members recently shared poems inspired by Laika and our canine companions to mark the day. A special thanks to them and Dr. Suzie GeeForce for illustrating the occasion! You can also find additional poems by our members in our list-serv. Enjoy, and feel free to add your poems in the comments below!   Laika Tanka by F.J. Bergmann only hours out as the capsule overheats Laika’s whimpers die then the signal of her heart silent snow between the stars A Haiku by Colleen Anderson The dog barks loudly ghost bones give no nourishment time to kill something

Space Dogs by Ann K. Schwader (first appeared in Mythic Delirium #25, 2011) the ones who loved us cave deep, who defied the moon’s far mockery with voices bent on claiming it as prey.  Of course some died starting that hunt for all of us – but when we waved down from a conquered rock at last, a thousand howls forgave.   Our greater sin was going on without them, monkey-fast & clever-handed, desperate to be first until the training wheels fell off in flight, reducing our  ambitions to a burst of bitter stardust swallowed up by night. Laika, Muttnik by Marge Simon There was a command: Khrushchev demanded another flight before they’d ironed out the bugs, a dog would suffice to appease him. There was perspective: They chose a mutt off the streets because strays survive in extremes of temperatures and conditions. There was empathy: “I wanted to do something nice for her: so I took her home to play with my kids. She had so little time left to live,” said the leading scientist. There were the facts: For political reason, it was a lie – she didn’t live for six days she died within hours, her death was not kind. There was the reverence: Over two decades later, the truth was made known, so not without guilt, Moscow paid her homage in stone.   The Social Evolution of Semargl by Melanie Stormm Pass from black into black, through the siren call of fire, of companions; first a wolf crops the edge of our fires, birch smoke, what we hunt, we share. Then, as Laika cased in fuel and flame, beyond our finger- strokes, a cold frontier. Pavlov's Menagerie Ruminates by Bryan Thao Worra (first appeared in On the Other Side of the Eye, 2007) Well, better this than life In an electrified rat cage, Hugging Harlow's wire mothers, Getting stuffed in Schrödinger’s lethal boxes Or getting launched into low orbit To bathe in cosmic rays for the Kremlin Because I couldn't sign fast enough Or cuddle a kitten in front of a camera. Navigating the thin-walled maze Between best friend Or mad moments like Cujo I've still got most of my original equipment. I'm fed. One ring, and my belly goes hollow As the average human soul. Lately, I gnaw on memories more than substance But I'm still not a sheep, And no one begs for my vote.