Friday, January 08, 2016

Poetry Friday Post Two - Crown Sonnet Concluded

Welcome back! If you haven't been following the crown or have come here directly from the Poetry Friday roundup, do jump over to Laura Purdie Salas's blog where this crown started and then follow the bread crumbs through the blogosphere to each sonnet in the crown. If you do that, you'll end up right back here.

The sixth sonnet in the crown was written by Tanita Davis. She left me with a bit of magic and alchemy to wrestle with. And remember, since this is the last sonnet in the crown, I also needed to end with Laura's first line. Here is the final sonnet in the crown.
A weapons grade plutonium ring by Los Alamos National Laboratory 

Our mettle tested, move from lead to gold
primordial, decaying and man-made
the final row includes the hard-to-hold
radioactive elements arrayed

Most form inside a nuclear playground 
where subatomic particles collide 
synthetics known for scientists renowned
forever by their names identified

A few were given form before the Earth
from ancient supernova residue,
Uranium, Plutonium give birth 
to energy and bombs--I wish we knew  

Pandora’s box we hold now, God forbid.
The world escapes when we unhinge the lid.


**Time out for a bit of science - If you've been following the news, you'll recognize that this last sonnet is about the now complete 7th period of the table. The four new elements “discovered” were, in fact, synthesized in a lab. Actually, all the elements from 95 to 118 are synthetic. Once formed they very quickly decay into simpler elements.


I hope you'll take some time to go back and read once more the contributions of each poet. Here is where you'll find the posts by each participant in the crown, in the order they were written.
Finally, and at the prodding of my sisters, I am sharing the full crown here.

The Poetic Table of Elements

I.
The world escapes when we unhinge the lid
that traps all elements inside a chart
When science won't stay tethered to the grid,
our only hope is knowledge tamed by heart

One proton—One electron orbits round
a simple element: first row, first place
When hydrogen ignites, we are unbound
from earth--a rocket blazes into space

But what results? What comes from being first
Solutions for our planet's fragile life? 
A cancer beat? Malignancy reversed?  
Or data, fused and used, a sharp-edged knife?

Each element, an elegant, sharp key
Will science break us down or set us free?

II.
Will science break us down or set us free?
What bonds secure us here in time and space?
What kryptonite of mind and heart will be,
the downfall of the species and our race?

But all’s not lost if we exploit the chart
manipulating valencies to make
new cures, bold applications, works of art,
in mankind’s quest to keep the world awake

So row by row assembled pure and raw
our lives, our earth composed of bits that spark
organic forms, the very breath we draw
all wrought from heat, from cold, from light and dark

Row 2 gives form to charcoal, diamonds, steel
what other treasures will the chart reveal?

III.
What other treasures will the chart reveal,
in double-lettered gilded boxes, fine
as Portia faced? AR has sex appeal,
I think, and choose my fate by noble shine.

A lilac glow when placed in voltage fields!
A barrier, so wine may age sans air!
Unseen, from dust, our Constitution, shields!
Argon, you worthy prince! you mighty heir—

You cheat. Hypoxic in the blood, you dope
to win; and ew! you asphyxiate, too—
a “kinder” end to fowl. “Inactive”? NOPE.
Those who search for matter (dark) target you.

Still, even the unstable can excite
A science lover, choosing in the night.

IV.
A science lover, choosing in the night
to ponder periodic elements
that cross the bounds of fields of study might
do well to mine fourth row intelligence.

The first row with transition metals, it
is last with elements completely stable.
Though some are poisonous — like arsenic —
radioactivity is down the table.

These minerals derived from the earth’s core,
compose the human body. With their aid,
one can work jewelry, craft circuit boards,
make stainless steel and artificial legs.

So much depends on calcium—like bone—
It’s odd to think it’s metal, and not stone.

V.
It’s odd to think it’s metal, and not stone
that we bite down on, gnash and grind at night.
Fine silver mixed with tin, its pauper clone,
alloyed with other charms to fend off blight. 

The way these chemicals transist, set in --
you’d never know they weren’t a part of us.
Perhaps they are as native as our sins
the framework for our aches, the messy truss.

Rubidium -- are we made up of you?
And cadmium and antimony too?
Unstable ores that blow the earth askew 
so there’s no fault, no consequence undue.

But what if we own up, apologize:
Don’t blame the elements for our demise.

VI.
Don't blame the elements for our demise.
What doesn't kill us - staid in chemist's hands,
Transformed through science into health's allies -
Will strengthen, if the cure we can withstand.

We scientists approaching this sixth row
Both toxic radon and earth magnets find.
Radiant metals, some with half-life glow
Can manufacture health for humankind.

The intellect, that bright quick silver streak
Of those who sought the elements to tame
Theory to fact, persistence scales the peak
Of ignorance, lends wings to wisdom's flame

so heirs of strength, persist in courage bold
our mettle tested, move from lead to gold.

VII.
Our mettle tested, move from lead to gold
primordial, decaying and man-made
the final row includes the hard-to-hold
radioactive elements arrayed

Most form inside a nuclear playground 
where subatomic particles collide 
synthetics known for scientists renowned
forever by their names identified

A few were given form before the Earth
from ancient supernova residue,
Uranium, Plutonium give birth 
to energy and bombs--I wish we knew  

Pandora’s box we hold now, God forbid.
The world escapes when we unhinge the lid.


I can't begin to tell you how much fun this year of writing has been, and capping it off with a crown has been such a treat. Perhaps most exciting is that even though the year has ended, we've all signed on to continue this crazy adventure. Thank you, my sisters, for one of the best birthday gifts ever.

I do hope you'll take some time today to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected by Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference. Happy poetry Friday friends!

16 comments:

  1. Simply in awe. I have done two books of sonnets (THE RADIATION SONNETS and THE EMILY SONNETS) and know how tricky they can be. Wow wow wow!

    Jane

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  2. Oh, Tricia. THANK YOU for publishing the whole thing here. I loved circling around to read each poet's thoughts on the process, but there's something about seeing in all of a piece that makes me happy. Also--you made this last "joining" sonnet look effortless. I know it wasn't---but still, it reads gracefully and organically. Well, well done, you.

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  3. Oh, my goodness. YOUR goodness, and the goodness of all our efforts joined together. This is just so beautiful. THank you for sharing the complete crown. My favorites of your many beautiful lines are:

    all wrought from heat, from cold, from light and dark

    and

    Pandora’s box we hold now, God forbid.

    xoxox

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  4. I'm so glad you collected them all here, as they should be read. I'm in love with what happened in each one as we all went off in our own ways but the gathering of them? YES. Can't wait til we do another!!

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  5. This is just so wonderfully amazing!! Thank you, dear Trisha, for sparking this and letting it fly!!!

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  6. I'm so glad you asked for a year of projects, and SO happy we did it. I'm looking forward to another year with my lovely poetry princesses. And I absolutely love reading the entire crown together - and the way Laura's starting line (so hopeful!) becomes ominous in your ending. Brilliant. <3

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  7. It looks so very official, all lined up. To see the progression of our thoughts, our whimsies, our research and finally to see it tied up with Actual Science (TM) -- this is really, really cool. Thank you for putting them all together, Tricia, and I wish you many happy returns of the poetry for next year. :)

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  8. AMAZING! Such a terrific accomplishment! Not only this crown sonnet, but the whole year long. And you're doing it again!? So impressed. (I think the couplets were my favoritest parts of the cs.)

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  9. Wow. This is beyond beautiful. I really appreciate this all in one place. Although going from blog to blog was fun too. I'm sending this to my science teachers. Just amazing work. Thank you.

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  10. I love what you all did, Tricia, and you finished this final one with such hope, for that messing about with synthetic elements seems filled with danger, yet also with things that might cure something important. The sonnets are amazing.

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  11. Wow! A very ambitious project--most of which I don't begin to understand--but so thoughtful and profound. Big congrats to all of you!

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  12. Fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!

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  13. Commenting now to everyone, especially since I can never "sign in" to comment at Tanita's blog...
    KABOOM. You 1x2+5 sisters really rocketed this one out of the atmosphere, and there is just not room here for me to note all the little turns of diction and choice of words that cooked up my imagination like elements over a Bunsen burner! Science/Poetry you know I'm all about that, but physics doesn't often get its due, and here it all is in its glory of enlightenment and human folly. Makes me wish I were a sister too! : )

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  14. A-MAZing. And astounding and goosebumping and...WOW. You can't see it, but I'm giving you all a standing ovation.

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  15. So glad you included the entire seven sonnets here--just amazing to read all together. Each was wonderful, but the sum is so much greater than the parts. I could not sign in to comment on all, but want to say how much I enjoyed and admired your crowning achievement!

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  16. Oh Tricia, you talented human. What can't you do? Seriously.

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