[Newspoetry] the human genome

[Joe Futrelle]

Remember the roundworm?
Start with it,
we'll just tweak.

Harden the segments'
interiors, that
will enclose marrow,
something rigid to
attach to.

Greatly enlarge segments
on either end.  This
gets complicated,
we'll get back to it.

To a new layer of skin
we add something incredible,
pores that excrete shimmering forests
of ossified protein tendrils, a texture
like no other.  Color it more or less amber
or bleach it white.  It flutters
wormlike in the breeze
(cf. mouse, delete whiskers.)

Consolidate those ganglia,
we aim here to dance, not
just wriggle.  Our trunk is
a switchboard, and we arm the nose,
mouth with the largest grey matter
clump, to bite what smells
in exquisite patterns.

Wear a helmet.

Have you heard of lenses?
We'll need a couple of those,
here are the proteins you'll need
and here are special nerves
modified to serve as film.

You'll need some valves; they're
easy, just modified worm stomachs
etc.

Envelop the breathing skin
in bronchia, protect them
with bone.  I'd tell you about
the proteins you need for this,
but that part's patented.

What it will want, who it
will imagine it is,
for this I have nothing
specific
to offer you; there is
in the relationship of these parts
something that it will fancy
greater than the whole, but you
need not concern yourself with that.

Same goes for swinging from trees
and the like; I'll tell you how to build
those ridiculous bones in the inner ear
and what to wire it to, but
ultimately this species must learn for itself
to heed
or ignore its limits.

--
Joe Futrelle
editor-upon-chief
Newspoetry dot calm