“Gravity Dog”

by Janet Norman Knox

First, let’s talk about what
           we know. We know dust
          is roughly 95% human
          dander depending on the number
          of household pets. We know
          dander is dead skin,
          we know dead skin
          is a raft of genetic
          stuff, you know, DNA, Watson

and Crick. Seriously, let’s talk
          about not knowing where
          the exosphere ends and space
          begins, the white and black
          of it, the line between them
          and us or us and nothing.

Finally, let’s talk about
          what can happen there, where
          we thin into nothing,
          all that dieting, exposing
          to radiation, a real sunburn,
          no pressure, lonely
          air, almost no friction.

I know, you say most of the dust
          has settled by now, but there
          must be a mite of dust wafting
          up out there where atoms
          are speeding up, some traveling
          so fast they escape the earth’s
          gravity altogether. Is that where
          DNA is being copied already,
          cloned dust merging
          with solar wind?
          If only a minute
          particle of dead
          you would fall
          back to earth,
          we might grow
          a new you, you
          and your dog.