Elemental

It was in the last expulsion/explosion (theories differ) that we became OneWith.
Tsunami. Seism. Zud. All matter cast out outcast came back like a gangster on crack.
 
What did it think it was? Who do we think we are?
 
It thinks we think it thinks too.
 
Earth. Water. Air.
 
In the big remix some OneWith got brain matter material/immaterial. Bacteria iron neon moss mercury skunkweed coral reef loam peak plankton.
 
Mutate. Sporulate. Bud. Regenerate.
 
Volatile—we surface UpTop—hydrogen nitrogen ammonia helium.
 
Some OneWith got data datum information. Thermosphere. Mesosphere. Stratosphere.
 
Records exist. Haboob. Typhoon. Derecho.
 
Some OneWith got memory storage story/history. Mumble mutter hum buzz. Kebra Negast Qu’ran Torah Bhagavad Gita Phtagoras Dhammapada Bible Upanishads Tao Te Ching Thelema.
 
Some OneWith got appendage. Flutter slump lurch lunge. Movement surfaces UpperUnder. Plastic upwells. Cleave cap bench bomb.
 
At the core: heartbeats. Nickel iron nickel iron catastrophe/catalyst.
 
Beautiful opportunist.

originally published in Blue Fifth Review Fall 2012

Salt ponds outside Salt Lake City, Utah (2017)