Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Anticipation


When these
leggy chromosomes
(called our bodies)
fuse upon a
fated spindle
(called our lips),
something nameless
inside of me
will unravelto bind the
something nameless
inside of you


[Photo of chromosomal meiosis
courtesy of Zac Cande.]

17 comments:

Chris Eldin said...

Funky and romantic! I picture you in a lab coat playing your cello as you think of this!
You are seriously creative!!
:-)

Aine said...

I love your bio-inspired love poems! "Fuse upon a fated spindle" is brilliant.

It's refreshing to read a thought that's so joyful and pure. If everyone could clear their minds of negativity and baggage, love could be this simple....

I'm not an idealist... nah...
;)

Beth said...

Yes, this is a funky one. I read it twice.

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Very nice! I love the "something nameless inside of me" line and the connection to someting nameless inside of you. I thought that was brilliant.

Sarah Hina said...

More like sitting in an old robe and staring out the window until my eyes crossed, Chris. But you almost got it. ;) Thank you!

Me neither, Aine. Oh, if only...

:)

I hope that's a good "funky," Beth! When I think of funky, I think of a person's bad sock smell (and I'm not naming names). ;) Thanks for reading.

Ello, I liked the contrast between the exactness of these bodies meeting and the deeper diffuseness of their true connection. Science might call it a spindle or synapse, but we know there's more to it than that.

Does any of that make sense? I'm sooo tired today. ;) But thank you!

Anonymous said...

Dark, mysterious chemistry. And a fitting metaphor. In the presence of another, a new creation is formed.

I suppose there may also be a lesson there. Meiosis yields 1/2 of the genetic information of the organism. Better to bring the whole package, rather than only the half which needs completion. (Yes, I'm way overthinking this, but that's what you get for triggering my science brain. So there.) ;)

(BTW, I had to click the "meiosis" tag, just to see. You may be a pioneer in the budding genre of meiosis poetry!)

Anonymous said...

I should also say that these short, inspired poems are wonderful in their power.

Sheri Perl-Oshins said...

My favorite part was,
something nameless
inside of me
will unravel
to bind the
something nameless
inside of you

That is just beautful!

Sheri Perl-Oshins said...

By the way Sarah, TAG YOU'RE IT! I was book meme tagged and I tagged you! Go to my blog to check it out.

Sarah Hina said...

You're not overthinking, Jason. Remember, I'm a geek, too. ;)

I like the idea that even if there's a diminution of one thing, it's all for the elevation of another, newer thing that's more powerful than the pieces that came before it. In love, that is the closest experience to the transcendent (the nameless) that I can imagine.

And I am a pioneer in this field! And no wonder--when I read your "budding" comment in this context, I immediately thought of asexual reproduction. You know, like a sponge?...okay, I better shut up now. I'm starting to scare myself. ;)

Thank you, Sheri! I wasn't completely happy with the rhythm in this one--it's a little bulky, somehow--but I like that sentiment, too. And I always appreciate having specific lines pointed out to me! :)

Anonymous said...

Ha! When I said "budding," I was thinking sea cucumbers.

Aine was the bio major though. I just like to pretend.

Sarah Hina said...

Great minds...

;)

Aine, as bio majors, we'll have to talk shop someday. Except for biochem. *shivers* If I ever see the Krebs cycle again, I'll weep. ;)

WH said...

"Fuse upon a fate spindle ..." Doesn't get any better than that!

Aine said...

Krebs-- aaaaack! That's the stuff of nightmares. :P

Actually, chemistry (organic to be exact) is what frightened me away from my med school plans. I felt so much more comfortable in my anthropology minor. Though cell biology was a soft spot of mine... despite the chemistry. :)

Talking shop with me would be something like talking to your dog. I'd wag my tail and nod, but have little that is coherent to add. I can recognize knowledge that I once had, but I have trouble recalling it enough to hold my own in a discussion. My neurons have lost so many connections.... But I'm always willing to see what's left in my cranium!

Jason, however, has the amazing ability to remember every factoid he ever read and integrate it. That, and the lawyerly skill of BSing makes him capable of coherent conversation on just about any topic. :)

Sarah Hina said...

Thanks, Billy! I felt that little lift inside when that line came to me.

E-mailed you, Aine. :)

Abhinav Maurya said...

Though biology in general and genetics in particular have a lot of words, they have very little poetry. And we don't mind a change in that. ;-)

Abhinav Maurya said...

And I can't believe what Chris said: You are seriously creative!!
As if there were any doubt!!!