the question of how
inanimate organic molecules
engaged with each other
to produce
what we refer to as life
is unanswered –
even though I know
enough math
to balance a checkbook
and my sense of balance
keeps me from toppling
and I’m cognizant of
my neighborhood
so that I can
get myself home
from anywhere
in the vicinity
even when drunk –
there are two elements at work here:
how I came to be
and what I do with my being
one involves the structure
of crystals such as DNA
the other can instinctively
place one foot after the other –
lab experiments
or the smell of my breath in the morning –
they’re closer
than you think
John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident. Recently published in Examined Life Journal, Studio One and Columbia Review with work upcoming in Leading Edge, Poetry East and Midwest Quarterly.