o God creating
woman and man in the image of God
you created them she sings from our small room in the predawn dark 
the major axes of light-bearing electrons revolve
elliptic on the form of a rosette around the nucleus 

convincing me here at least for a moment she and i know each other 
our hands know our children are love and loved they change us
and we receive them with gratitude seeing you in them always
 
she imagines angels on the electromagnetic spectrum it’s all just light 
she leans her body into mine in our bed saying they go undetected 
too powerful to be seen and you infinitely more so
 
when our daughters are asleep in our arms we remember we are windbone
exiles haunted by our past and barefoot we whisper to them do you feel deeply loved 
and yes they open their eyes the iris starlike wondrous yes 

                                                                 iii.11 

Shann Ray | Atomic Theory 432, ii.1
Contents | Mudlark No. 64 (2018)