Seismograph Readings from My Body Electric

I sing the body electric

Birthday cake crumbs still floating in my stomach, January 1986
In the liminal pre-sleep phase, just before the sandman seals the deal

I celebrate the me yet come

My body is filled with buzzing, rumbling, levitating above my bed

I toast to my own reunion

I can’t control it
can’t get down,
I’m terrified
something awful

When I become one with the sun

The next day in math class where I watch my sluggish, frog-eyed teacher
scrawl on the overhead projector,
“Q. E. D.” for what he cavalierly says is, “Quite-Easily-Done,”
the librarian rushes in and whispers in his ear.

And I'll look back on Venus
I'll look back on Mars

“The Space Shuttle Challenger has exploded,” he relays matter. of. fact.

And I'll burn with the fire

The news sends me crashing into the mattress of reality,
with the electric sizzling knowledge that
last night’s fizzing sensation
was a somatic divining rod

Of ten million stars

of the teacher and six other space pioneers who are now fiery sparks
among the brilliant dust that we are made of
that sends light relentlessly, mystically
to us with the speed of beckoning

Ashes to ashes, star dust to star dust  

And in time

Q. E. D.  Quo Era Demonstratum, thus it is demonstrated

And in time

we sing the body electric

We will all be stars

Kari Tai with lyrics by Songwriters: Dean Pitchford / Michael Gore

---