Biology Exam for Adolescents
Aimee Mackovic
Don’t worry, Biology is nothing more than blood and guts
and femurs and membranes, so take a breath:
Think fire flies, think fire hydrants, think the kerplunk
of your stomach and its relation to his voice,
the expansion of the hairs on your goose pimpled
arms. Contemplate your future in the rising flames
of a high school bonfire without reservation. The darker
the basement lights, the purer the vision. Multiple choice:
Ten years from now your brain will most likely be:
A: floundering in adulthood, B: still in a classroom
C: in a one star hotel somewhere in Europe
or D: nowhere special. True or false: photosynthesis
is a code name for a new process to get high, mutation
is a process that happens in gym class that you will never tell
your mother about. Explain the knot in your throat
and your willingness to play spin the bottle.
Divide the rate of your pubescent pulse
by the number of rock concerts and multiply
by the number of bottles of Boones Farm. That
is a velocity you can’t see. That is what you are trying
to slow down. For extra credit: Measure the thickness
of the emotional scars of your first crush. Did it kill?
Show your work. Create a self-sustaining organism
With no concept of time. Every step
Is crucial. There is no partial credit.
No bounty for second place. Throw your self-esteem
up in the air, and see what comes down. Record this.