Gold, poem from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series by Chicago poet Janet Kuypers

Gold

Janet Kuypers
Gold
from the ““ Periodic Table of Poetry” series (#079, Au)

Golden lights, displaying your name

When I saw you, I was so attracted to you.
Your Golden hair reflected the sunlight
the day we met,
and ever since our first encounter,
I desperately needed you with me.

You bought me gold jewelry,
and to this day I wear
your Gold chain around my neck,
your Gold ring around my finger.

You were go soft,
and I would do whatever you wanted,
but as time wore on,
I saw you would bend to me as well —
you seemed so malleable
when it came to you and me.
I loved how my Golden boy
would follow any choice I made
when we were together.

Golden lights, displaying your name,
Golden lights, it’s a terrible shame

You were like the glow of sunrise,
and when we were together,
you were coursing through my veins.
You were so valuable to me.
You were so precious to me.
I would have even consumed you,
if you gave me the chance.

Golden slumber steals your eyes

But you never gave me that chance,
and it was like the world was heartbroken
as so many came to your coffin
to see your Golden hair one final time.

They called me a Gold digger
because before before your cremation
doctors had your Gold fillings removed.

I kept your Gold wedding ring, too,
that must also make me a Gold digger.

In my mind,
you were perfection for me,
you were the summit
of everything that mattered to me.
When I think of how pure you were,
to this day,
nothing tarnishes my love for you.
That is why, on some early mornings,
I step outside
and feel the glow of the morning sunrise,
to remind me
of our neverending love.

(the first two italicized sets of lines are from the song
“Golden Lights&#8221, by the Smiths. The last italicized line
is from the song “Golden Lights&#8221, by the Beatles.)

Gallium, poem from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series by Chicago poet Janet Kuypers

Gallium

Janet Kuypers

from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series (#31, Ga)
(based on the poem “Almost the Best Part”)
10/2/13

Isn’t that moment of expectation
almost the best part?

How it melts in your mouth
and not in your hands…

Or,
is it the most
heart-wrenching
part.

When you think everything is over,
you see
that at 30 degrees C
everything melts away.

And you think you shouldn’t be doing this,
that this can’t be happening,
but on a hot day —
everything is held in peril.

Because as I said,
everything can melt away.

Yeah, I know how they say
it melts in your mouth
and not in your hands,
but after a lick,
it doesn’t have much of a taste,
it’s a bit astringent
and has a metallic taste
that lasts a few hours.
But as I said,
it melts in your mouth
and not in your hands,
but no one even knows
what it tastes like
when it’s molten…

But still,
with a low melting point
and a high boiling point
and no toxic vapor,
it contracts as it melts
(much like water).
It actually floats
on it’s own liquid.

You want to see it
floating away on itself like that,
you want to see
what you think are the laws of nature
being broken,
so you wait for that moment of expectation,
to see that moment of change,
and wonder
it that’s almost the best part.

Europium, poem from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series by Chicago poet Janet Kuypers

Europium

Janet Kuypers

from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series (#63, Eu)
(based on the poem “Too Much Light”)
10/2/13

too much light makes the baby go blind
and too much light makes the moth
rush into the flame
and die in a glorious blaze of glory

A scientist placed parts of you
in a tube,
removed all the air he could
and sent
an electrical current right through you.

It glowed
And he called it a Cathode Ray.

I have seen the light;
I have seen your red hue.

You say you make everything bright,
but what is my choice:

burn in that red flame
if I get too much of you,
so I can burst quickly?
I know they even dope plastics
with you for lasers, for what,
so you’d be ready
for a quick kill?

So, what,
do I burn in that red flame?
Or do I keep giving myself
only trace amounts of you,
taking your red intensity
bit by bit,
thinking I’m not
giving myself
enough, but still,
you absorb me slowly?
Until you pull me in?

Because either way,
you’ll try to absorb me in,
right down to my neutrons.
I mean, they’ve been
doping what I use
all the time with you
for all of my life now,
and I didn’t even know it.

Yeah, they say too much light
makes the baby go blind.
But what does it do
when it’s been with you
all your life?
Will it kill you then?

They keep talking about
too much light,
but I wonder
if it’s a question
of the right kind of light.
Because,
you haven’t taken me out
yet —
I seem to be doing
pretty well with you.
So they might be talking
about the danger,
but if you know
what you’re doing,
maybe enough of you
is just what I need.
I’ll take my chances
with you,
because if you’ve been doped
into what I use,
maybe the addition if you
is exactly hat I need.