Getting to Know You

.
I’m getting to know you who came
with the first Archaeon’s spark

everything was new then, even you, you
parenthetical tail of vital events, you
old telegraphic protoplasmic stop, you
callous caboose bringing up the ends of trains
of eloquent clauses, small words,
grunts and final remains, you little
but lethal punctuational dot

you came on the scene with the first cell knots waiting
you loomed in the dark as first hearts began beating
In celebrations of birth you took orchestra seating
at wakes you confirmed your ruthless deleting

never kind to lovers you bathed the earth in shade
two-stepping with light (its extinguishing side)
what it made you unmade …… It comes!
It comes!
………………….. alarms went out
when your hacking heralds came through
making it clear you’d arrive to nullify
anything new

alone in your shadow lovers wept
embracing only the smoke they’d kept
of the flame you’d snuffed before you left

but yet, still yet—
.
by Jim Culleny
10/7/13