our science teacher was the pastor’s son / a star of our little baptist school / handsome like elvis / he could dunk a basketball and / used scripture / to teach us about the creation of our world / how in the beginning there were battles of darkness / and light / and with a voice that engendered everything / light won / sometimes / the girls and i would laugh at him when he’d bend over at a student’s desk to listen / to a question / and at the core of my laughter / shame / because after i started coming / to church on wednesday nights / he bought me a milkshake but also because / through his dress slacks / the line of his briefs shaped worlds i did not know existed / at night a voice kept me awake / from the knot in infinity’s rings / so much energy / galaxies / flowers / and the most dangerous thought / that all of it came from nothing / last night / a man asked me if i believe in science / and then kissed me under a large oak / whatsoever things are pure / whatsoever things are lovely / i am older now than my teacher when he taught us / how the waters unleashed to destroy the world / carved out the grand canyon / but i am still learning / i am still learning how void begets beauty / i am still learning how to answer when called

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