Rachel, Nevada

 

I’ve seen one, a flying saucer.
Abandoned, no one around.

It was hanging off the hook

of a tow truck in Rachel, Nevada.

Population 70.

Which just so happens to be

at the edge of Area 51,

the so-called Nevada Test Site.

The town was founded

by Union Carbide,

supposedly to house

miners working at the

tungsten mine east of town.

But they closed up operations

years ago.

I saw a lot of mobile homes

sitting on cinder blocks,

some trucks parked under

scruffy cottonwoods.

Every mobile home

had a satellite dish.

Didn’t see a dog

or cat or a single soul.

Not outside. There was

a lady working in the little

gift shop, bar and grill.

They have various alien

and UFO-themed souvenirs.

Like little green pointy-headed

alien salt and pepper shakers.

There’s an alien burger

on the menu, I didn’t ask

where the meat came from,

but probably from the same

supplier as McDonalds,

Burger King or Wendy’s.