Two Poems by Dr. Emily Bilman

by Dr. Emily Bilman

Betelguese

The epicarp of a blood-orange,

the giant fire-sphere, transfers lithium-

plasma to its binary star. Magnetic

core-fields tighten their shell-

lives through the jet-stream of a shrunk

smouldering giant-sun. With sulphurous

hydrothermal fumes the salt-minerals

are unfettered from the volcanic

ocean-crust among 350° Celsius fumes

sheltering primal microbial nurseries.

Aguas Calientes, Chile

Lithium precipitates into mushroom-

aggregates on coarse-seeded shards

of grey granite and pegmatite.

On Andean alluvial plains, nano-membranes

scale the ions from their twin-ions, solvent-severed

into talcum-heaps exported for car batteries.

On other brine-fields, resins capture

lithium ions, cleansed of their ionic impurities

with recycled brine, acids, and vital water.

Disoriented, the diademed Phregornis,

the rarefied Fulica coots, the Andean avocets,

fly out with the striped bittern of the dry lands.