THE ALCHEMIST’S CHANT • by K.C. Ball

Sulfur into Oxygen; solid into gas.
It really isn’t difficult, if you halve the mass.

Gallium to Silver. Palladium to Lead.
Wait! Those ways are backwards; it’s the other ways instead.

Plutonium from Gold, will give a glowing tan.
Argon turned to Krypton gas is really super, man!

Transmutation is a snap, simple as can be;
but don’t expect it every time — just periodically.


K.C. Ball lives in Seattle, a stone’s throw from Puget Sound. She writes fiction and poetry because if she doesn’t, she’ll just burst.

GD Star Rating
loading...
THE ALCHEMIST'S CHANT • by K.C. Ball, 3.6 out of 5 based on 22 ratings
Posted on January 17, 2009 in Poems
Bookmark and Share

15 Responses to “THE ALCHEMIST’S CHANT • by K.C. Ball”


  1. Anonymous Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 1:08 am

    [...] poem, The Alchemist’s Chant, is the featured piece at Every Day Poets today.  Stop by and check it out, if you get a [...]

  2. Roberta SchulbergGoro Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 4:45 am

    I don’t know chemistry, so I have to believe the poet knows what he’s talking about. I like this poem a lot; its probably about poetry and the final line is a memorable clincher.

  3. K.C. Ball Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 5:36 am

    Roberta: Actually, it’s about chemistry.

    I was having some pun fun with the periodic table of the elements, so there’s nothing heavy here, other than the plutonium. ;)

    I’m glad you liked it, though; I love juggling words this way and that.

  4. Oonah V Joslin Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 7:23 am

    “nothing heavy here, other than the plutonium.” K.C. you kill me :) This is very clever and very funny and like Tom Lehrer’s Periodic Table song, there’ll be a shoet test after, folks. :)

  5. Robin Herrnfeld Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 9:03 am

    It’s cute, K.C. I bet you had fun with that.

  6. Nicholas Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 10:41 am

    I’m really beginning to look forward to new contributions from K.C. Her light verse delivers the kind of fun I expect from poets like Edward Lear and Ogden Nash and Dorothy Parker.

  7. dj barber Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 11:11 am

    I love the smell of alchemy in the morning…

    –dj

  8. Gray Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 11:47 am

    This is so great and light-hearted. I really enjoyed this one, and with a big smile.

  9. Joan Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    I love it! I love the rhyme and the brilliant play on words of the final word!

    Really enjoyable to read aloud. Great fun!

  10. Jonathan Pinnock Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 2:18 pm

    Great fun! I was reminded of Tom Lehrer’s song about the periodic table. I’d like to see several more verses of this!

  11. Roberta SchulbergGoro Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 3:24 pm

    K.C. Ball -
    I thought scientists/chemists MUST be certain of the outcome everytime. It’s artists who live in self-critical uncertainty.

  12. K.C. Says:
    January 17th, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    Thank you all for the wonderful comments. As Oonah said, there will be a quiz in the morning. ;)

  13. kcheath Says:
    January 21st, 2009 at 7:11 am

    Cute! I love the pun :)

  14. Poetry | Meanwhile... Says:
    January 21st, 2009 at 8:22 am

    [...] snuck up on a Saturday, so I didn’t notice it, but KC has an excellent poem up over at Every Day Poets. It’s about chemistry! As I recall, I was terrible at chemistry in [...]

  15. Erin Says:
    January 21st, 2009 at 10:04 am

    I really enjoyed this one, K.C. Very fun!

Comments

« | Home | »