Pantoum on Reading Wikipedia’s Timeline of the Far Future

Pantoum on Reading Wikipedia’s Timeline of the Far Future

Pantoum on Reading Wikipedia’s Timeline of the Far Future

First, the Niagara Falls, carving their way
back to their mother, will cease to exist. By then,
the brake of the moon will have slowed us a second a day.
No matter our carbon, the blanket ice will send

us back to our mother. We’ll cease to exist. By then,
a supervolcano will surely have opened its arms,
no matter our carbon. The blanket ice will send
a white kiss to the sun. The earth cools, and warms.

A supervolcano will surely have opened its arms
before the surviving coral rebuilds, before
our white kiss to the sun. The earth cools, and warms,
and cools. A continent will open, and roar

before the surviving coral rebuilds, before
we lose all the old mountains. A meteor strikes,
and cools. A continent opens, and roars.
And, further out, a great moon’s flight

will close. In the old mountains, his fall strikes.
We cannot see much further. Our numbers go dark
as, further out, the great rings’ flight
reels into dust. Beyond this mark

we cannot see further. Our numbers go dark
due to the limitations of time, who
reels into dust. Beyond this mark
we only know the system turns, that you,

due to the limitations of time, due
to the brute physics, are a shaking echo.
We do know the system turns, that you,
in the moons’ fall, the planets’ crash, are owed

to the brute physics. Is a shaking echo
enough? Do you need to know yourself more
than the moons’ fall? The planets’ crash? You’re owed
nothing by entropy, but you are given a store

enough for your needs. To know yourself more
is really nothing but luck, nothing but spin,
nothing but entropy. You are given a store
of half-held understanding, and here you begin:

there’s really nothing but luck, nothing but spin.
The brake of the moon will slow us a second a day:
half-hold this understanding, and here you begin.
First, the Niagara Falls, carving their way.