Graphite,
 |
| https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2014-03-27- science-bling-turning-graphite-diamond.aspx |
wood encased and painted yellow,
hand embraced and put to paper,
lines and loops of language
that may bless or curse,
confound with terse reply,
expound in verses so romantic
that a lover will respond.
A simple pencil, yet a noble tool
that any fool can master
and a master can create fine gems
of wisdom, humor, weight.
Graphite,
pressurized, enflamed
with mesmerizing heat that mimics
earth's own core, transformed into
a diamond, hardest substance
known to man that can, used properly,
persuasively, abrasively
cut surfaces or grind or drill
until desired outcomes are achieved.
Millenia (or so it is believed)
in nature, re-created now in labs
and given to that lover who responded
to the poetry, graphite then and
graphite now. How can we know
or who's to say which
graphite will delight the lover more?
I only know which I'd prefer,
the love expressed on paper.
(c) Ellen Gillette, 2021
