Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith

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Poem: "A Periodic Table of Elementals"

This poem began during the March 2, 2010 Poetry Fishbowl.  It presents the scientific elements as elemental spirits.  You can read more in the original description.  "A Periodic Table of Elementals" is being microfunded one verse at a time.  Verses will be priced individually to account for varying line length and difficulty.


These are the sponsors of the posted verses.
Hydrogen = xjenavivex
Helium = xjenavivex
Lithium = xjenavivex
Beryllium = xjenavivex, zianuray
Boron = zianuray
Carbon = jenny_evergreen
Nitrogen = jenny_evergreen
Oxygen = jenny_evergreen
Fluorine = jenny_evergreen
Neon = jenny_evergreen
Sodium = generally sponsored poetry fund
Magnesium = generally sponsored poetry fund
Aluminum = generally sponsored poetry fund
Silicon = generally sponsored poetry fund
Phosphorus = generally sponsored poetry fund and janetmiles
Sulphur = janetmiles



These verses are available for sponsorship.

Well, jenny_evergreen just bought life, the atmosphere, and Las Vegas (Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, and Neon) so it will take me a little while to get ahead again. Whee!
I've posted Phosphorus; sponsorship is still barely ahead of writing, with Sulphur remaining to be written. I've posted Sulphur. This epic is currently suspended; when I get more verses, I'll make them available.



A Periodic Table of Elementals


Hydrogen elementals bang bigly, creators starting stars in the main sequence.

Helium elementals shine sweetly, soft songs uplifting us to violet enlightenment.

Lithium elementals float serenely, sleek batteries empowering our souls.
Wreathed in red flames, they supple and swoon us, so invincibly light.

Beryllium elementals appear with aquaintances, aquamarine beauties and
emerald gentlemen: suave, sociable, sturdy community spirits.

Boron elementals are princes of purity, cleaning and preserving -- but also
aloof. He's a real hard-glass, is Boron, too perfect for most people.

Carbon elementals are lords of life, perpetuating possibilities from star bones to
life forms. Petroleum, polymer plastics, pigments -- life's hands shape them still.

Nitrogen elementals hold the breath of the sky, fixing a pale purple eye
On those below, propelling proteins upward, teaching them to fly.

Oxygen elementals tend respiration, produced by plants, absorbed by animals,
their presence abundant and pervasive, as clear as air, as bright as flame.

Fluorine elementals embody reaction, pansy and primrose: powerful bonds
and poisonous response, a fierce attraction that burns perfectly.

Neon elementals oversee entertainment, presenting light in pretzels and parallels,
noble gas igniting into a red-orange roar of wonders just waiting to be held.

Sodium elementals are the souls of sanctity, charged with consecration and
purification of all that is holy. Soft silvery-white metal enshrouds all souls
on board, and its yellowing flame shines faithfully on the straight and narrow way.

Magnesium elementals emerge from sequential addition in supernovas, then
slip into soluble state as they dream in seawater or make mineral water sour --
but they burn with icy white light, sign of their origin, a lighthouse of mathematics.

Aluminum elementals are ever-present yet subtle, hidden in minerals and gems,
ellusively precious then profoundly abundant, protected by passivation;
they mirror our progress and teach us to recycle what we can.

Silicon elementals rarely appear in pure free form, preferring to appear in dust
and sand, planets and planetoids, protective shells of diatoms. They appear in
semiconductors, opening the way to cyberspace, inviting us into their realm.

Phosphorus elementals prescribe boundaries, membranes warding ebb and flow
of cells, enclosing long ladders of DNA. Chemical luminescence is a cold glow,
but here too is pyrophoric power, napalm, a punch of heat outlining the light show.

Sulphur elementals are charming devils, as handsome as adders
and as explosive as gunpowder, posing as pyrite to press temptation
when money is the root of all evil, and yet empowering plants as fertilizer.



A Periodic Table of Elementals



1) Hydrogen (period 1 line, group 1 anthimeria, S-block alliteration)
Hydrogen elementals bang bigly, creators starting stars in the main sequence.

2) Helium (period 1 line, group 18 synesthesia, S-block alliteration)
Helium elementals shine sweetly, soft songs uplifting us to violet enlightenment.

3) Lithium (period 2 lines, group 1 anthimeria, S-block alliteration)
Lithium elementals float serenely, sleek batteries empowering our souls.
Wreathed in red flames, they supple and swoon us, so invincibly light.

4) Beryllium (period 2 lines, group 2 assonance, S-block alliteration)
Beryllium elementals appear with aquaintances, aquamarine beauties and
emerald gentlemen: suave, sociable, sturdy community spirits.

5) Boron (period 2 lines, group 13 pun, P-block alliteration)
Boron elementals are princes of purity, cleaning and preserving -- but also
aloof. He's a real hard-glass, is Boron, too perfect for most people.

6) Carbon (period 2 lines, group 14 repetition, P-block alliteration)
Carbon elementals are lords of life, perpetuating possibilities from star bones to
life forms. Petroleum, polymer plastics, pigments -- life's hands shape them still.

7) Nitrogen (period 2 lines, group 15 rhyme, P-block alliteration)
Nitrogen elementals hold the breath of the sky, fixing a pale purple eye
On those below, propelling proteins upward, teaching them to fly.

8) Oxygen (period 2 lines, group 16 simile, P-block alliteration)
Oxygen elementals tend respiration, produced by plants, absorbed by animals,
their presence abundant and pervasive, as clear as air, as bright as flame.

9) Fluorine (period 2 lines, group 17 symbolism, P-block alliteration)
Fluorine elementals embody reaction, pansy and primrose: powerful bonds
and poisonous response, a fierce attraction that burns perfectly.

10) Neon (period 2 lines, group 18 synesthesia, P-block alliteration)
Neon elementals oversee entertainment, presenting light in pretzels and parallels,
noble gas igniting into a red-orange roar of wonders just waiting to be held.

11) Sodium (period 3 lines, group 1 anthimeria, S-block alliteration)
Sodium elementals are the souls of sanctity, charged with consecration and
purification of all that is holy. Soft silvery-white metal enshrouds all souls
on board, and its yellowing flame shines faithfully on the straight and narrow way.

12) Magnesium (period 3 lines, group 2 assonance, S-block alliteration)
Magnesium elementals emerge from sequential addition in supernovas, then
slip into soluble state as they dream in seawater or make mineral water sour --
but they burn with icy white light, sign of their origin, a lighthouse of mathematics.

13) Aluminum (period 3 lines, group 13 pun, P-block alliteration)
Aluminum elementals are ever-present yet subtle, hidden in minerals and gems,
ellusively precious then profoundly abundant, protected by passivation;
they mirror our progress and teach us to recycle what we can.

14) Silicon (period 3 lines, group 14 repetition, P-block alliteration)
Silicon elementals rarely appear in pure free form, preferring to appear in dust
and sand, planets and planetoids, protective shells of diatoms. They appear in
semiconductors, opening the way to cyberspace, inviting us into their realm.

15) Phosphorus (period 3 lines, group 15 rhyme, P-block alliteration)
Phosphorus elementals prescribe boundaries, membranes warding ebb and flow
of cells, enclosing long ladders of DNA. Chemical luminescence is a cold glow,
but here too is pyrophoric power, napalm, a punch of heat outlining the light show.

16) Sulphur (period 3 lines, group 16 simile, P-block alliteration)
Sulphur elementals are charming devils, as handsome as adders
and as explosive as gunpowder, posing as pyrite to press temptation
when money is the root of all evil, and yet empowering plants as fertilizer.

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, poem, poetry, reading, science, science fiction, writing
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  • 13 comments
I like this. I think it's interesting how you've decided to go for the 'microfund' idea, since a poem this long would be pricey to try to fund all at once. :)
This one is working a little differently than usual for my epics. I typically set a per-line price that stays the same for the whole poem, $.50/line in most cases, and then I post each verse as it gets funded. About a year ago, people started teaming up to sponsor poems that they couldn't afford individually; and then I got to doing the microfunded epics posted a piece at a time. If you click the "Poem" tag and scroll back through the material, you'll find the earlier epics.
Ah, I should get my donation in before I run out of cash! *goes to do that*
Your support is greatly appreciated.
mhm...
At the risk of being blatantly self-serving,
I gotta mention that "The Periodic Table"
is the title of a story in my book...
As long as you can find a connection between something here and something you're doing, that's okay. Networking makes the Web go 'round.
I am completely asquee over the ones I've funded! Squee! :)
I appreciate the vote of confidence. It was amusing to look at the table and see what the next verses would be, as a group -- so many important ones.

Deleted comment

>> This is an interesting undertaking; I like what you're doing. I've images running through my head of how this would look as a collection with graphics. <<

I'm glad you like it. Actually, I think the best presentation for this poem would be a hyperlinked periodic table, the way the elements are often presented. That way, people could read it in any order they wish -- by groups, or periods, or blocks, or picking out favorites -- rather than atomic order as it's being written.

>> I keep hearing about the funding, but I don't really understand how to go about funding. Is there a link on one of your other pages?<<

There is a permanent PayPal link on my profile page:
http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/profile

Each month's Poetry Fishbowl post also has its own PayPal button, such as this one from March where this poem originated:
http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/1004260.html

>> How does this work? <<

People give me prompts during the fishbowl, relating to each month's theme. I write poems based on whatever I get. Then I post a thumbnail description of each poem, with its price, so that people can sponsor them for publication if desired. (I post one freebie, too.) That way, you don't have to wait for some editor to like what I'm writing -- you can buy it directly from me. Long poems, like "A Periodic Table of Elementals," may be microfunded by multiple sponsors. In this case I'm letting people sponsor individual verses. Donations made through PayPal should be tagged with your LJ handle and what poem (or verse, in this case) you want to sponsor. Then I post the goodies -- and sponsors get nonexclusive reprint rights, so sometimes things get reposted on their blog, too.

Deleted comment

I understand about being busy. I appreciate the donation!

So far 3 poems have been posted from this month's fishbowl. There will be more later, including a poll for generally sponsored poetry.
I forgot to mention, the April fishbowl is scheduled for this Tuesday if you want to see it in action.
I'm enjoying this. I haven't had a chance to read your poetry fishbowl yet but wanted to stop in and let you know I'm still reading & enjoying the elementals.
I'm glad that the elementals appeal to you. I'll get back to this poem presently.

Meanwhile, several poems have been posted from the April 6 poetry fishbowl, whenever you have time to read those.

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