Let there be water cycles
lifting dew, pulling clouds over mountains
releasing torrents of sudden storm.
Let there be the tiny appendix
maligned vacation home of gut bacteria
nurturing legions.
Let there be goosebumps
alerting the body to danger—
a man staring viciously behind one-way glass.
Let there be music
speeding and slowing heartbeats
tuning the body to waves through air.
Let there be hemoglobin
delivering oxygen from lungs to organs
clearing carbon dioxide, days into weeks into months.
Let there be squid ink
blunting sharks’ senses
hiding prey for silent escape.
Let there be photon detectors built into eyes
meant to pick out Andromeda
blinking two million years in the past.
Let there be stardust, deep in your bones
spectacle of exploding hydrogen, carbon, oxygen
settling into your fragile body, calling you home.
–
Patricia Davis-Muffett holds an MFA from the University of Minnesota. Her chapbook, alchemy of yeast and tears, was published in winter of 2023. Her work has appeared in many literary journals and received honors including a Best of the Net nomination and inclusion in Best New Poets 2022. She lives in Rockville, Maryland.