In Praise Of Slow Chemistry Poem by GORDON GILHULY

in praise of slow chemistry: a love poem

last night a steel rain suddenly threw
itself at my garden in mocking
response to my many prayers but it
was gone in minutes and had no time to
work its magic:the chemistry that comes
with a slow touch, that builds long beauty
that reaches inside to touch
the juiciest passionfruit tender heart
that heals the soul

steel is not a virtue steel
will not cradle you
in that slow soft time
when flowers close their eyes and wait
for the warm understanding of the night
for the caress light as the exhalation of trees at moonrise
for slow chemistry

the quick and sudden rain has passed
away leaving only small explosions in
the dust painful memories of a
touch that only knows the surface only grows
an instant and is gone but langour
brings years of perennial growth
brings understanding
brings the touch that knows the sub-atomic structure
of your skin of your heart

the instantaneous is soon past turning
heads with promises of swift voyages
to the sun and gone again before the
journey's done
but the soft and lavish rain
knows the way home
knows how stars are made