Impermanence is the Only Thing that Works in Fahrenheit Around Here

by Sara Adams

---

that fluid doesn’t go anywhere

in a micro-gravity situation,
a coffee cup we’re sending to the International Space Station
has a theoretical efficiency of 30%
because of evapo-transportation
and bioluminescence
and how a glo-stick works

that test is no longer ongoing

but
if you have an infinitely long straw
you get a second chance
at it

Φ

SOURCE: Each line of this poem represents a phrase heard during a sequence of small lectures at three Portland State University science and engineering departments. The title is a mashup of two heard phrases.

 

---

At the end of the interview, they ask what kind of animal best reflects your personality.   Select your response:

A moth, wings spread wide.
Our Dalmation buried out back.
The fat, old whiskered walrus.