transubstantiation 3

when humankind
and all her spawn
galactic empires
and so on
are gone

and Shakespeare never breathed

and no star stirs
without a bug remarks
a new event
in its dominion

and children never swam

and Eve and Adam
have not yet sinned
nor ever will

and lovers never died

nor loved nor sighed

and the smoke from the cherry wood burning on the shore
never drifted over the bay
the day I rowed
to Maria

then new scents will fill the heavens
and with whatever tentacles of fire
new intelligences
caress their skies

they will