Monday Poem

Getting to Know You
.
I’m getting to know you who came
with the first Archaeon’s spark

Everything was new then, even you, you
parenthetical tail of vital events, you
old telegraphic protoplasmic stop, you
callous caboose bringing up the rear of trains
of eloquent clauses, fertile words,
grunts and final remains, you
small but lethal punctualtional dot

You came on the scene with the first cellknots waiting
You stood in the dark as first hearts began beating
In celebrations of birth you took orchestra seating
At wakes you confirmed your ruthless deleting

Never kind to lovers you roamed the earth like a shade
after light —being its nether side
what it made you unmade

Here it comes! the word went out
when your coughing heralds came through
making it clear you’d arrive to nullify anything new

Alone in your shadow lovers wept
embracing only the smoke they had kept
of the flame you snuffed before you had left
.

by Jim Culleny
10/7/13