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.
Posted on January 17, 2009 in Poems
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15 Responses to “THE ALCHEMIST’S CHANT • by K.C. Ball”
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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 [...]
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.
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.
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. 
January 17th, 2009 at 9:03 am
It’s cute, K.C. I bet you had fun with that.
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.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I love the smell of alchemy in the morning…
–dj
January 17th, 2009 at 11:47 am
This is so great and light-hearted. I really enjoyed this one, and with a big smile.
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!
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!
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.
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.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:11 am
Cute! I love the pun
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 [...]
January 21st, 2009 at 10:04 am
I really enjoyed this one, K.C. Very fun!