<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><font size="5">Deep Time</font><div><font size="5"><br></font></div><div><font size="5"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In the depths of the depths something begins,</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">although in truth—the simultaneous—</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">it’s likely already arrived at its end,</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">vapors cohered, cores long burning,</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">diamonds smoldering within eons stacked</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">into depths. Always far from us, sparks begin</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">to flare inside proteins. Conical shells stretch monstrous</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">in our own alien waters. Earth upon Earth has opened</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and already come to the iced or flaming end</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">of everything except sludge or scales or fur. Nestled</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">in the hoodoo-ed peaks, stars ignite like forest fires</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">surging on the heights, red-hot beginning</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">named apocalypse. Praise it, the breath</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">emptying and filling. Our new Earth already</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">holds its end, and stars’ lives dazzle us</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">in their stalled, single moment. As far as we’re</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">concerned, it’s always now. The universe</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">endures. In time’s deeps, everything begins</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">to engulf us, red galaxies winking from the end.</span></font></div><div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><font size="5"><br></font></span></div><div><font size="5"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">- Julie Swarstad Johnson</span></font></div></body></html>