At first, in the fallopian tubes,
the zygote is little more
than a clump: morula,
named for its resemblance
to a mulberry.
Then fluid fills it
like a balloon, a whole
lot of nothing.
That’s when the mother’s
body moves it
& it takes root in the womb.
This is the call & response
of matrix & matter:
for creative work to happen
you need that opening
without & within.
The stem cells form,
ready for anything.
*
I think this may be the last post in the Small World series. (If you’re reading via RSS or email, here’s the link to the whole series.)
OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES
- Ab Ovo
- The Origin of the Exclamation Mark
- Screw
- Cursor
- Shark’s Tooth
- Acorns
- Book Match
- Toenail Paring
- That Button
- Stone
- Thorn
- Knots
- Knob
- Fulgurite
- Coin
- Sugar Pill
- Peach Pit
- Eyecup
- Asterisk
- Bullet Casing
- Nipple
- Indicator Light
- Salt Crystals
- Asterisk (videopoem)
- Fish Hook
- Oak Apple Gall
- Pearl
- A Thumbnail Taxonomy of Rivets
- Wingnut
- Baby Carrots
- Computer Chip
- Thimble
- Lentil
- Blastocyst
I liked this series, Dave! More attention should be paid to the mundane, the everyday context of our lives. Easy to say, hard to do.
Thanks so much, Larry. Always good to get this kind of feedback from readers outside the poetry scene, especially from someone who pays as close attention to the world as you do. I’m honored. (Sorry if you experienced any weirdness whilst navigating the series this evening. I was doing some editing and re-ordering.)
Inspired ending – this collection must become a book!
Thanks, Jean. I am seeing about finding a publisher for it.