“Space Aliens of La Jolla” by Dan Grossman

Space Aliens of La Jolla

I saw them outside Sotheby’s 
looking at the real estate listings;
houses that would sell for 150 K in Iowa
going for five million in La Jolla 

I saw them in line, wearing
Vantablack shades,
at The Taco Stand. They slurped up
their burritos with straws. 

I knew they weren’t from here—
by here I mean Planet Earth— 
by the way they dissolve 
into the mirrors of themselves

upon departure. I spotted them
at first Friday art walks
mingling with certain blonde
female artists whose faces 

were pastiches of sun damage
and plastic surgery. It didn’t 
surprise me that they 
bought houses in Cali 

as they could create currency
out of thin air. Think 
interstellar Bitcoin. Like 
everyone else in La Jolla

they paid their yard workers
in cash because the system
gives credit to ETs more easily
than to the undocumented.