Today, most of us know what it is like for the world as we know it to shift. You wake up one day, and it’s nothing like yesterday and nothing like any of the tomorrows that you had envisioned. Perhaps, even your place in the world has changed.
In 2006, scientists decided that Pluto was no longer a planet. If you were Pluto, imagine how you might feel about this shift of your place in the universe. Here are the words of Fatimah Asghar.
WARNING: If you are offended by obscene language and the generous use of 4-letter words, move on to my next blog post. If you could use some humor in your life today, continue.
Spoken word poetry is meant to be heard.
Watch Fatima Asghar perform Pluto Shits on the Universe
Pluto Shits on the Universe (excerpt)
~ by Fatimah AsgharOn February 7, 1979, Pluto crossed over Neptune’s orbit and became the eighth planet from the sun for twenty years. A study in 1988 determined that Pluto’s path of orbit could never be accurately predicted. Labeled as “chaotic,” Pluto was later discredited from planet status in 2006.
Today, I broke your solar system. Oops.
My bad. Your graph said I was supposed
to make a nice little loop around the sun.Naw.
…. Ain’t nobody can
chart me. All the other planets, they think
I’m annoying. They think I’m an escaped
moon, running free.…. I realigned the cosmos.
I chaosed all the hell you have yet to feel. Now all your kids
in the classrooms, they confused. All their maps:
wrong….Today, I broke your solar system. Oops. My bad.
Read full poem at PoetryFoundation.org.
Check out Fatimah Asghar’s book of poetry, If They Come for Us
