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Download this poem in the free chapbook the 7/22/12 Beach Poets chapbook, w/ the Periodic Table of Poetry poems.

See YouTube video of Kuypers reading this poem at her Beach Poets feature 7/22/12 in Chicago (from the Canon)

See YouTube video of Kuypers reading 7 poems from her series “Periodic Table of Poetry” at her Beach Poets feature 7/22/12 in Chicago, including this poem (from the Canon)

Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her v202 12/22 Down in the Dirt, issue/book “The Cool Cold” poems “Aluminum” (the first poem also appearing in the Janet Kuypers poetry book “Periodic Table Poetry”), “Value from Nothingness”, “Utopia Planitia, Titan and the Kuiper Belt”, and “X-ing out lives” (that is also slated for appearance in the CyberWit.net 2023 Janet Kuypers poetry book “Testament”) on 12/7/22, the 1st Wednesday of the month (1:00-3:00 PM CST) in honor of ‘Community Poetry’ (from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). This was also released from a Samsung S9 camera, and posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, & Tumblr). #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersfeminism #janetkuyperswomensrights #janetkuypers #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypersequalityforwomen #janetkuypersperiodictablepoem

Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her “The Paths Less Traveled” book poetry “Aluminum Becomes Priceless” + sharing an image reflecting the poem (also from the book “Twitter Verse Periodic Table Poetry”), “Alumium? Aluminium? Aluminum?” and “Alumium” (also from the book “Periodic Table Poetry”) for the 4/5/23 ‘Community Poetry’ honorary book reading (from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera, and posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, & Tumblr). This was also a Facebook live video stream, from a Samsung S9 camera, on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, & Tumblr. #janetkuypers #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersperiodictablepoem #janetkuyperstwitterverseperiodictablepoem

Aluminum Janet Kuypers from the “Periodic Table of Poetry” series 5/9/12 On our wedding anniversary, I try to remember annual anniversary gifts: we’ve passed wood, copper, iron, and are just passing tin, steel, and aluminum now. What on Earth do I buy for a gift that’s aluminum? I don’t think he wants an aluminum briefcase. Aluminum picture frame magnets won’t work on our stainless steel fridge. Brushed aluminum wall tiles over our kitchen sink might be a good idea, but that’s hardly an anniversary gift... The beaten square aluminum cufflinks look pretty good, but I think the only time he wore cufflinks was on our wedding day. So really, aluminum? Oh, I suppose the pliability of aluminum shows how our marriage needs to be flexible and durable, and like aluminum, which can be bent without being broken, we have to learn to bend to each other’s wills so that we can be stronger when we’re together. And we are. With the low density of aluminum, it is the third most abundant element here on Earth. But the things is, the aluminum metal is too reactive chemically to occur natively on Earth, so it’s usually found combined in ways with over two hundred seventy different minerals. So, we see aluminum because it mixes well with others. Good thing it’s pliable, ductile, malleable. Better thing it’s durable, to withstand the test of time. And the thing is, I’ve studied these elements to see how they are needed in the human body, and despite aluminum’s abundance on Earth, it actually has no known function in biology. It’s remarkably nontoxic, but because in the body it competes with calcium for absorption, it might even lead to Osteoporosis... Okay, I won’t eat this element, I won’t use it in cookware. Good thing I don’t need antacids (which may contain aluminum), and although I’ve never seen aluminum in antiperspirants, some researchers have postulated that using antiperspirants with aluminum may increase the risk or breast cancer, or potentially Alzheimer's disease. (Great news for the woman with breast cancer in her family history. Great news for the woman with a previous brain injury, so I should watch for Alzheimer's disease. Now I have more reasons to worry about ingesting the “nontoxic” aluminum.) It’s funny, aluminum was first used in car engineering and architecture (those must have been strong cars and buildings— wait, they were “durable”, but also, I’m afraid, “flexible”, for cars and buildings), but then aluminum was used in jewelry and fashion. Kind of like those cufflinks, I suppose. Hmmm. In the meantime, I’m going to grab some leftovers from the fridge, get it out of the aluminum foil and eat before pondering what his anniversary present should be.

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