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Five Elemental Monoku

I. BISMUTH [83] rainbow-sheened cubist castles -- silver-pink of hue II. IODINE [53] gunmetal grey crystals sublime -- and billow purple III GALLIUM [31] metallic grey and stiff -- melting in a cordial clasp IV. HELIUM [2] spent star-fuel -- alpha-ray remains – blimp-floater V. RHODIUM [45] brightly-burnished -- rarer than platinum -- dearer than gold
January 4, 2020 NOTE: Many years ago, 1975 or so, I found a little book in the library of Pine View School in Sarasota, Florida, which contained mostly-humorous verse of an unusual sort: a quatrain each for every chemical element. (Whether the non-primordial elements were included, and whether the Rare Earth elements were treated individually or as a group, I cannot recall.) The name of the book has eluded my memory... a portmanteau or pun on "Chemistry" and "Christianity" of some sort, perhaps? I can only recall two of the quatrains; they went: Xenon has a cross to carry, Staying single his chief goal; Now they've gone and made him marry! Modern science has no soul. and: The melting point of Rhenium Is high as a proscenium. She plays the part and shrieks "Thou liest!" When Carbon says his own is highest. If anyone recognizes this, or could help me locate the book, I would be most sincerely grateful!

Copyright © | Year Posted 2020




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Book: Shattered Sighs