Jet Propulsion Laboratory

jet fuel does not burn
at first; there must be
that first spark there must
always have been a first
spark, like when we greet­ed
each oth­er our hel­los
col­lid­ed and there was a
flash but no clap
of thun­der
          though there
should have been and the
sound of trum­pets or at
least some­thing more than
just hel­lo.

Here I am in love with a ball
of hydro­gen nine­ty-three
mil­lion miles from me and
every ani­mal
            [includ­ing man]
enjoys
being scratched behind
the ears.