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    Parker Owens
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Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Disasters, Delights and Other Detours - 30. Mendelev's Periodic Table

Any errors of poetry or chemistry are mine. If it's too painful, I apologize.

Mendelev's Table

The periodic table's made
as Mendelev came to our aid
to catalog the elements
in serried ranks to be displayed.

As science made developments
in chemical intelligence,
the atom's patterned data grew,
and thus the table's relevance.

So that's how Mendelev foreknew
that substances of which no clue
existed might discovered be,
and brought to wider peer review.

Now in the table, there to see,
is why the bond 'twixt you and me
was in our very substance laid
as we combine in ecstasy.


Periodically Speaking

The periodic table charts
those elements and all their parts
which help the harried brain decide
where every chain reaction starts.

Transition metals sit astride
the table, riding side by side
with noble gases, quite inert,
or metals made of alkalide.

Blithe halogens seem all alert,
for chances when the might exert
their powers of reaction swift
with earthy metals formed in dirt.

And so the playful atoms shift,
though often several might be miffed
to find themselves with broken hearts
as chemistry sets them adrift.

Many thanks to anyone who leaves a comment, or a calculation, or even a math/science challenge poetry prompt.
Copyright © 2017 Parker Owens; All Rights Reserved.
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Poetry posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Some of these were out of my 'element,' but I got the gist of them. I have to say the cadence of both is perfection. I read them singsong in my head, and that was fun. :)  I love how you always tie your concept to people... love and emotion... the human condition, both happy and sad. Mad respect, my poetic friend. :worship:  Cheers... Gary....

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These are classic Parker :hug:  We get the benefit of you being back to school :)  I'll have to give some thought to a math/science prompt :)  

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You are completely mad. Wonderfully, poetically insane.  :lol: As usual, I have little idea of what's being described, but it doesn't matter. It never matters, dear friend. You have a marvellous gift for making love poetry out of the most unpromising material. Long may you continue.  :yes:  

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8 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

Bright and amusing!  Who said the periodic table wasn't fun?

 

That was my thought. When my colleague gave me this challenge, not one but two poems suggested themselves. I had to write them in parallel. Thanks for reading these, and for having fun with them.

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9 minutes ago, Headstall said:

Some of these were out of my 'element,' but I got the gist of them. I have to say the cadence of both is perfection. I read them singsong in my head, and that was fun. :)  I love how you always tie your concept to people... love and emotion... the human condition, both happy and sad. Mad respect, my poetic friend. :worship:  Cheers... Gary....

 

I am very glad you could bond with these, even if the chemistry wasn't perfect. Your words are very kind. And I really think I might have learned more in Chemistry class if I had been able to think of things this way back then.

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10 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

These are classic Parker :hug:  We get the benefit of you being back to school :)  I'll have to give some thought to a math/science prompt :)  

 

Yes, back to school where I can exercise my nerd muscles better. Thank you for reading these. I'll be looking for ideas for the next Rational Rubayat...

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8 minutes ago, northie said:

You are completely mad. Wonderfully, poetically insane.  :lol: As usual, I have little idea of what's being described, but it doesn't matter. It never matters, dear friend. You have a marvellous gift for making love poetry out of the most unpromising material. Long may you continue.  :yes:  

 

I will take my madness as a compliment. ;) You're right that I enjoy taking an offbeat tack on the seas of love. My old father would have said I was 'making bricks without straw.' I am most grateful you took a moment to read these, and for your kind and generous response.

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3 minutes ago, dughlas said:

Simply chemistry ... you and me.

 

My dear Dugh, thank you very much. I am happy you enjoyed these.

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So impressed with your rhymes! Do not ask me to understand the ideas - too many gaps of knowledge here.. but I love the way it sounds...

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18 minutes ago, mayday said:

So impressed with your rhymes! Do not ask me to understand the ideas - too many gaps of knowledge here.. but I love the way it sounds...

 

I'm very glad you enjoyed these for their sound, if for nothing else. If only my chem teacher in high school had taught with a nice cadence like these. I might have learned these things the first time through... Thank you so very much for reading these.

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@BDANR Thank you for taking time with these. Hope you enjoyed going back to chemistry class. The Rubayat rhyme scheme is one of my favorites! 

Edited by Parker Owens
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I love seeing other people compare the elements to people.  In elevators, observe how people chose where they stand.  Four people who don't know each other will be spaced at equal distances from each other.  People with affinities to one another gravitate together, while those without affinities (bonds) will space themselves from the others also at equal distances.  We are controlled by our bonds and affinities, it's true.  Great job!!!

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9 hours ago, Cole Matthews said:

I love seeing other people compare the elements to people.  In elevators, observe how people chose where they stand.  Four people who don't know each other will be spaced at equal distances from each other.  People with affinities to one another gravitate together, while those without affinities (bonds) will space themselves from the others also at equal distances.  We are controlled by our bonds and affinities, it's true.  Great job!!!

 

I’m glad these appealed to you. I love the challenge of finding the humanity in the worlds of science and math. I am very grateful you read them, and I appreciate your comments immensely. 

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