Finally, “Stardust” makes a near-romantic link between the universe and its observers. Scientific fascinations create a kind of lustful magic to those who pursue them, and the poem is perhaps implying that the vital essence of understanding the universe lies somewhere between scientific fact and personal attraction and/or perception: “our bodies’ own galaxies.”
Milk from a Cockroach: or Gregor’s Revenge
“An international team of scientists has just
sequenced a protein crystal located in the
midgut of cockroaches.”- http://www.sciencealert.com
The old cow, retired in grass,
thinks mournfully of milk parlors.
The coconut, past its prime
sulks ungracious on the tree.
Goats and mares counsel one another,
plan insurrections they never pull off.
But the smart money deals
in cockroach futures,
the production of caloric
bug juice protein supplement.
Added bonus—perhaps you will live forever,
or at least scuttle under counters
to escape the light.
Spider Rain
If it hadn’t happened in Goulburn
or earlier in Wagga Wagga,
this angel hair falling from the sky
would seem a cosmic prank.
Like crop circles, Nessie, Yetis,
the footprints of unicorns,
those little heart-shaped trails
made of human desire.
But this story is true, as spiders,
slow on the ground, migrate
by the thousands, hauling up
from underground cities.
Weaving shrouds,
that shawl trees, blanket grass,
flag tall buildings, decorate
even a stunned man’s beard.
They fling snag lines into the air,
arachnid Wings of Blue,
letting the wind flag them
across the silk roads.
Stardust
