Robin Gow
Supermassive
What I have left to admit
involves science:
how black holes can eat each
other.
How
two black holes can meet
over
instant messenger and discover
they both know the same language
and are both lonely and are both
washing their sheet in water
and are both worried that
one
of these days they will
run
out of guilt and just be happy
to eat everything.
The
two black holes will get closer
to
each other, even if they promise
not to. The two black holes
will fill each other’s hunger
with
promises
about destruction like:
I
have eaten these universes so that
I might finally meet you.
like:
I
have consumed
these
cosmoses so that
I might hear your voice
as it turns fibrous—coiled
under my tongue.
The black holes might even
know that their meeting can
only
end in a larger gash:
a
vacuum turns on in their chests
where a human organ would be.
When
two black holes come together
they
become one supermassive
black hole. Biting each other’s
necks like the ouroboros:
are you my snake or my tail?
Yes, this is me telling the other
black hole I am sorry.
Yes,
this is me being
hungry
and foolish,
Yes,
this is me with my hands
inside
him—puppet like
making his tongue wag in space.
or maybe that was a flag.
Or maybe those were just
my own eyelids.
You
can leave if you want
I say with both voices.
_______________
Robin Gow’s poetry has recently been published in POETRY, New Delta Review, and Roanoke Review. He is a graduate student and professor at Adelphi University pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing. He is the Editor at Large for Village of Crickets and Social Media Coordinator for Oyster River Pages. He is an out and proud bisexual transgender man passionate about LGBT issues.
Editor’s Notes: There’s a supermassive black hole at the heart of every galaxy. There is mystery and awesomeness about black holes. And as it is often the case, science provides wonderful metaphors and opportunities for symbolism. The image of two black holes merging together by itself, without words, speaks volumes. [Image courtesy: LIGO / Caltech / MIT / Sonoma State (Aurore Simonnet) https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/27/16368860/gravitational-waves-ligo-virgo-three-observatories-fourth-detection
