Martin Ott: California Poets Part 11, One Poem

Martin Ott

October 20th, 2026

California Poets: Part XI

Martin Ott

One Poem

Love Lessons from Star Trek

An infinitesimal dollop of anti-matter

can annihilate even a budding romance.

The lesson of a poisonous seed sews

chaos in time bombs of guilty kisses.

Love is not blind, but is not beholden

to perfect number of breasts or moss-tinged skin.

The lesson of assumed perfection wanes

beneath countless moons, meet-cute invasions.

Relationships sparked in soothing tribble pits

carry baggage that can only burst under pressure.

The less of nirvana, from cuddle to smother,

launches desire to where no one has gone before.

The harried return to any version of home

unspools desire to explore strange new words.

The lesson of recapitulating unrequited love

is a voyage that flounders on the shores of loss.

Author Bio:

Winner of the De Novo and Sandeen prizes in poetry, Martin Ott is the author of 12 books of poetry and fiction. His work has appeared in more than 300 magazines and 20 anthologies. His book of prose poems Sharks vs. Selfies will be published in 2027 by Black Spring Press Group.