poem Promethium, a poem from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series (#61, Pm), By Chicago Poet and performance artist Janet Kuypers — Promethium poem, Periodic Table poem, end of the world poem, Mayans poem, calendar poem, Winter Solstice poem, baited breath poem, anticipation poem, somber poem, mourning poem, religious poem, end-of-days poem, excitement poem, Prometheus poem, Titan poem, Greek mythology poem, stole fire poem, Mount Olympus poem, humans poem, intellect poem, rare decay poem, unstable poem, radioactivity poem, x-rays poem, protection poem

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Promethium
Janet Kuypers
from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series (#61, Pm)
12/28/12
The end of the world just passed.
Everyone thought that because the Mayans
ended the calendar at the twenty twelve
Winter Solstice, that meant the
World was ending right then and there.
We all waited with baited breath,
in confused anticipation, not knowing
if we should feel a reserved somber mourning,
a sick ignorant religious end-of-days excitement,
or if we should feel nothing at all.
#
Did you know that Prometheus
was the Titan in Greek mythology
who stole fire from Mount Olympus
and brought it down to humans?
Maybe that fire would be the end of times...
Maybe Prometheus symbolizes
both the daring and the possible misuse
of mankind’s intellect. Maybe the Mayan calendar
wouldn’t do us in, but our own ignorance
and abusive ways would.
Maybe that end-of-the-world feeling we got
is from the rare decay of others,
that only produces the very unstable you.
But the thing is, despite your issues,
despite all of the ways of you may do us in,
from radioactivity to your emitting of x-rays,
we’ve learned that with just a little protection
we’re safe through the next calendar cycle.
Now we’re better prepared, and you’ll be the one
wondering about the end of times.

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Like Janet Kuypers’ writing on any of these links below:

See YouTube video
of Kuypers reading this poem 1/2/13 at the Café Gallery in Chicago (from the Canon camera)

See YouTube video
of Kuypers reading this poem 1/2/13 at the Café Gallery in Chicago (from the Sony camera)

See YouTube video
of Kuypers reading 5 Periodic Table of Poetry” poems 1/2/13 at the Café Gallery in Chicago (from the Canon camera), including this poem

See YouTube video
of Kuypers reading 5 Periodic Table of Poetry” poems 1/2/13 at the Café Gallery in Chicago (from the Canon, w#&047; Threshold filter), including this poem

See YouTube video

of Kuypers reading 5 Periodic Table of Poetry” poems 1/2/13 at the Café Gallery in Chicago (from the Sony camera), including this poem

See YouTube video

of Kuypers reading 5 Periodic Table of Poetry” poems 1/2/13 at the Café Gallery in Chicago (from the Sony, w/ Posterize filter), including this poem

See YouTube video
of Kuypers hosting the open mic 1/2/13 at Gallery Cabaret’s the Café Gallery in Chicago, plus this periodica table poem

Watch this YouTube video
of Kuypers reading 3 “Periodic Table of Poetry” poems (Promethium, Livermorium, & Lead, recorded from a Android camera) read live in Chicago 1/9/13 at Elizabeth’s Crazy Little Thing

my hand to an anim of jkchair