Monday, October 02, 2006

heart takes a passenger flight into space

tempted by richard branson's sweet deal,
heart buckles down with a leg, some fingernails
two nervous lungs and some sweat glands
in the SpaceShipOne with six
space tourists,
the trip of a lifetime for the low low cost of

but heart isn't paying for this trip,
tagging along for the ride
in the name of scientific research.
heart brought a camera, some crackers
a postcard to send to you in zero gravity

heart would like a window seat but settles for
the freezered compartment,
picturing the clouds whizzing by
as the plane flies up up up
far above the other planes;
heart is pounding and the glands
start to smell, leg twitching like crazy

if stomach were here, in these cramped quarters,
it would drop
right through the floor

for three minutes in space heart is released
to float around, earth curving below
like a cataracted unblinking
eyeball

returned to chest, heart hears only:
contract. do not contract.
asserting lackluster sovereignty
on the circulatory system.
for weeks, heart will leap
wildly against the ribs, suspended in blood
for a moment,
remembering freefall

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