my atoms are something more than elements

what are now my atoms
was once the tears of a whale
crying for its stillborn calf
the hair on the underarms of a
flying squirrel
using the natural trapeze of the jungle
to entertain the butterflies below
the eyelids of grasshoppers
in the desert scorch
the softness of green moss covering
an anthill in the forest
the majestic glaring cornea of an eagle
soaring the cliffs
the intestines of a hungry rat rummaging
for scraps of a kill
the howling vocal chords of hyenas
as they threatened a calf
the end of a tusk as it dug into the ground
on an elephant’s final descent
the simplest spot on a rock
lying alone in the sea
the scales of a fish in a mouth of a sea lion
and the roaring echo of a tiger

what are now my atoms
were a wonderful assortment of things.

and all united
by that radiating magnetism
of the northern lights
it is no wonder
I aspire for greatness.