This Mortal Coil: Poems of DNA

Humans are composed by DNA, and through chemical action it maintains and renews us daily. This poetry book explores the many facets of our existence through the lens of our own DNA. Most of us know who our fathers are, but it's not that difficult to find someone who discovered in adulthood the uncomfortable truth through DNA analysis. DNA determines our personal identity, not counting the effects of environment. The topic of DNA covers race, medicine, sexual attraction, procreation, family, gender, vaccines, crime, eye and hair and skin color, COVID, longevity, national identity, mutation, relationships with parents and children, beauty and ugliness, and height, to name a few. For example, the miracle of birth is accompanied by a rush of hormones ensuring the bond between mother and infant. Some medical researchers are recording the DNA of large human populations, which will lead to broad advances in diagnosis and treatment. Some nations are recording the DNA of many or all of their citizens, which will lead to privacy invasion and police suppression. As with computers, such research is a double-edged sword. This book engages these subjects and more surrounding the central force of DNA.