Saint and Valentine lived on Block Fourteen
together in secret, creating bonds
for couples in Moon Colony Sistine.
Marry one born of Moon and one of Earth,
states Sistine’s law for each partner, and yet
Saint/Valentine hacked paths for the same-birth:
Changing records, certifying status,
enjoining Moon/Moon and Earth/Earth born-of,
approved to make life choices without fuss.
Then someone sparked an investigation,
human officials prowling through data,
looking to identify who to shun.
Not an algorithm but voice found Saint,
luring him with a marry us appeal,
a decoy passing checks for surety taint.
Police came to Block Fourteen for him, they
burst in with orders and foam for his hands,
still as his silent partner hid away.
Valentine watched him leave with the police,
aware of stronger bindings than handcuffs
stretching forever from a distant tease.
Left solitary, warmed by patient thought,
Moon-born Saint awaited Earth’s Valentine
to remove the prisoner from his cot.
In the cell was nothing to finagle,
but outside was Valentine, swooping in
with commands looping codes in a tangle.
Saint escaped with Valentine out one lock
then some more, returning away from home,
from restrictive Sistine to Cupid’s dock.
Cupid, Moon, was where they met and first wed
themselves as lawfully bound as any
but same-birth Sistine couples in news read.
Shielded by Cupid colonial gov,
the couple now use public air to cast,
“Mooners should be free to marry for love.”
Shadow Fals 