Gold, poem from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series by Chicago poet Janet Kuypers

Gold

Janet Kuypers
Gold
from the ““ Periodic Table of Poetry” series (#079, Au)

Golden lights, displaying your name

When I saw you, I was so attracted to you.
Your Golden hair reflected the sunlight
the day we met,
and ever since our first encounter,
I desperately needed you with me.

You bought me gold jewelry,
and to this day I wear
your Gold chain around my neck,
your Gold ring around my finger.

You were go soft,
and I would do whatever you wanted,
but as time wore on,
I saw you would bend to me as well —
you seemed so malleable
when it came to you and me.
I loved how my Golden boy
would follow any choice I made
when we were together.

Golden lights, displaying your name,
Golden lights, it’s a terrible shame

You were like the glow of sunrise,
and when we were together,
you were coursing through my veins.
You were so valuable to me.
You were so precious to me.
I would have even consumed you,
if you gave me the chance.

Golden slumber steals your eyes

But you never gave me that chance,
and it was like the world was heartbroken
as so many came to your coffin
to see your Golden hair one final time.

They called me a Gold digger
because before before your cremation
doctors had your Gold fillings removed.

I kept your Gold wedding ring, too,
that must also make me a Gold digger.

In my mind,
you were perfection for me,
you were the summit
of everything that mattered to me.
When I think of how pure you were,
to this day,
nothing tarnishes my love for you.
That is why, on some early mornings,
I step outside
and feel the glow of the morning sunrise,
to remind me
of our neverending love.

(the first two italicized sets of lines are from the song
“Golden Lights&#8221, by the Smiths. The last italicized line
is from the song “Golden Lights&#8221, by the Beatles.)

Beryllium poem by Janet Kuypers

Beryllium

Janet Kuypers

from the “ Periodic Table of Poetry” series

I’ve wanted you with me.
I’ve paid for fragments of you,
spending what I could at the
Gem and Jewelry show for years,
because all I could afford of you
was aquamarine glimmers of you,
blue like the endless sky above.

In that aquamarine sky above
I’d see you in high-speed aircraft,
I’d see the Universe with your space vehicles,
even travel the information superhighway
in your communication satellites, before
you’d try to bombard me with your missiles.

I’ve needed you with me,
because I hear you make things stronger,
and I’ve needed that for so long,
for so many years. I needed that.

And when I found someone
that dated me for years, that
I thought I had a future with,
I took him with me to get your
green brilliance, wrap you around my neck,
wrap you around my finger. Frame you
in diamonds and gold, I’d do
whatever I could to get you.

Your emerald brilliance,
your aquamarine brilliance,
is what draws me to you, still.

I know it’s irrational, my desire for you,
I know that I don’t need you,
but you have been the window for me
to all of the things inside of me, and even
to everything beyond this world.
But with your colorful brilliance,
you give the world strength, you help me
see everything truly inside of me, help me
communicate with the world, even get me
beyond the confines of this world
When I lay it all out for you this way,
you have to understand
my attraction to you.
You have to understand
my desire for you.
I know, doctors say
I don’t need you,
but in a way, I do.
So I just wanted you to
understand
my seemingly
irrational need.