a mineral, a feather, a presolar beacon
cold light reflects off the surface
a shimmer in the dark well above
vibrant matter to gleam or glean
a
satellite a future fossil
hovering like one of those unidentified
flying objects tho we know this is not flying
it is an orbit in rotation
the slow growth of a tree ring
a message for the dendrochronologist
sawing down the forests
and reading atomic traces of the past
over us like a scythe
these future fossils
dug out of earth spun like gold
a Rumpelstiltskin journey control and atmospheric politics
I want to ask you
to call up our lost friend Lasseter
and tell him that the reef is floating above
encourage him to strap on those Icarus wings
meet our maker fossick thru
the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the sky
each satellite a cipher each satellite a tree ring
or a coal seam geosynchronous and orbiting with us
a following a refrain of loving and of grace
very kind and committed
these future fossils to be looking down upon us
like angels or like mothers
Chantelle Mitchell is an early career researcher, writer and curator. Her practice leverages fragmentary and archival approaches, addressing structure and place in the Anthropocene/Chthulucene. Her work has been published by The Lifted Brow, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Marrickville Pause, Plumwood Mountain Journal and others.