evolution of grain

c.2005

Once upon a time,
in a land not far from here,
existed grasses swaying freely
with grains atop each blade,
fraying sweetly fro' and to.

Onwards from the blade
by wind and then by way,
likewise on to air
the grain journeyed past
and well beyond its means.

No arms or legs or torso
no brain, no thought, no more
than simple cells sexing so
from the center of its halves,
a sprouting sprig in waiting.

From a speck of dirt
to mature and greening grass,
sprouted each and every blade -
when the season came to rest,
from the blade atop came forth,
a grain of which to watch
fall silently to earth.

From dust begin unto dust end,
to begin once again -
for from the earth shall sprout
a grain to which no end
can hold within or store.

Then there was the day -
neither stone nor book to tell,
a grain did find its way
from grasp of mite,
with slow but sure a march
to the beak of bird -
the end of travel as it knew,
the wind was bid farewell.

But 'fore the grain bore forth
'twas carried on once more
in due time by able, thrashing hands -
and so its day grew shorter still
when met with mortar firm,
the pestle found its fate.

For the first time ever,
the whole of grain was lost -
forever now to smithereens;
from once a simple dust
and now to dust of flour,
what next in line
awaits this dust of grain.

Then came the rains,
from powder into paste
was made the grain with haste
and onwards, paste to palette
was moved with force
on the path of digestion
and so forth to earth.

With gradual step in time
from dust to grain to paste -
and then found man, the flame -
kindled with the flour, toasted
formed to pasta, boiled
kneaded on to loaves, baked
and onwards to no end.

For from the dusts of earth
to fields of amber grain,
from dust to grain to dirt
and grain to paste to plate -
was this fate hence a plan,
or was it child of time
and equal partner chance?