Before the Birds and Bees

A hundred and thirty million years ago
in a galaxy far, far away,
a couple of neutron stars were
irresistibly attracted to each other.
And they danced around just like
Prince Wotsisface and Cinderella,
and the faster they spun, the closer
they got, until at last they came
together in an overwhelming burst
of gravitational energy, a wave
that ejected matter and many
of the elements needed for life
in milliseconds. That’s all it takes.
And they created precious things, gold
like Mum’s wedding ring, copper
the colour of your hair.