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DOES THE UNIVERSE SMELL?

by vincent-s-coster

For Robin & Emilie Stammers   They say the universe is full of smells   In fact tests on astronaut's suits   Have indicated this much was true   It seems- they say- that there are faint   Traces of metallic smells you see?   Not the stink of leather and bourbon   Which emanates from my friend Robin   Or the sweaty funk that lingers   Where my obese neighbour goes   There are- to put it quite simply-   None of the rich earthy smells   That one associates with life or living   In the cold realms of outer space   There are just the smells   One would find in a science lab   In other words metals and the   Faint perfume of vaporous gasses   Seeping from stars and planets   In perpetual extra-terrestrial fartings   Out there- where there are   Strange cosmic happenings that   Would blow your mind-   The universe they say is positively stinking   Reeking to high heavens   You could say...   Though of course, we can really never know   For sure   And that is what bothers us-   Humans, in general, that is-   We don't like being reminded   Just how finite we are   When we are surrounded   By all that marvellous infinity
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Written by
vincent-s-coster
For You?
Written by
vincent-s-coster
Published
Jun 25, 2017
Time
3m
Notes

I wrote this poem after watching a program about conceptual art in which one artist had started a project after hearing that astronaut suits had traces of scent on them and they felt this had hinted at how space was full of smells.

I dedicated it to a guy who I like very much and who it is noted has the smell of bourbon and leather and his daughter Emilie who was a good friend from the early days of the internet and who was obsessed with space and was, in fact, one of those people who could be called and Unearthly Child.She is no longer with us, to our great loss. I dedicate this poem to them.

This poem will feature in the new collection of poems Little Paper Fishes which will be released early next year.

Tags
#space#poem#science#irish#poet
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