Continents grew like pears
in the eyes of conquistadors,
                               eyes which
filled with exes
                 on axes.
Continents grew like thoughts
from Europa’s ear
with Latin mottoes:
                       Novo Mundo
or Terra or Incognito.
The Mare
Oceanus had been merely a circle
before islands bloomed like fruit:
Erdapfel
               Earth-apple
a balloon perched over Copernicus’s
beret.
       America sprung from the thigh.
And now we see through the center
of the Earth,
               aardvarks, armchairs,
and all. Everything from the beginning.
Lucy to Neanderthal unearthing
                               land
first in mind.

copyright,  © 2007 Eric Reymond