Mu-ta-tion, by Clara B. Jones

/myuȫ’tāSH(ǝ)n/
Noun: the changing of the structure of a gene

for Olivia Lone Bear, New Town, ND: disappeared 10/24/2017, recovered 7/31/2018

I told them, you were the smartest one—like
An insect is smarter than a worm when
Choosing a mate in the season for coupling
Or as circuits and replication couple student
And mentor, or as Seton Smith and Turrell
Use light to great effect. GATA4 mutations
Are transforming natives since a poem is
About itself though pine trees are remarkable
In every way. Circuits are scrambled by

Phenotypes while the Anthropocene and mega-
Constraints stop the advance of invasives
And automated foot-soldiers fight climate
Change. Everyone loves to hate dissonance,
But cognition is a gateway to encrypted
Networks if persons of interest labor to perfect
American classes of purpose-built synths. How
Do lakes change lives—and, on a scale of 1 to 5,
How much do you know about pick-up trucks?

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/missing-in-america/fbi-confident-body-found-submerged-truck-belongs-missing-mother-olivia-n897546

Clara B. Jones, a retired scientist, practices poetry in Silver Spring, MD (USA). She, also, conducts research on experimental literature and radical publishing. Her exploratory work includes internet publishing and creative use of mathematical notation. Clara is author of four chapbooks and one volume (/feminine nature/, 2017, Gauss PDF), and her poetry, reviews, essays, and interviews have appeared, or are forthcoming, in various venues.