Blog Post 12

The Universe: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

"The first track still almost swings. High hat and snare, even
A few bars of sax the stratosphere will singe-out soon enough

Synthesized strings. Then something like cellophane
Breaking in as if snagged to a shoe. Crinkle and drag. White noise,

Black noise. What must be voices bob up, then drop, like metal shavings
In molasses. So much for us. So much for the flags we bored

Into planets dry as chalk, for the tin cans we filled with fire
And rode like cowboys into all we tried to tame. Listen:

The dark we've only ever imagined now audible, thrumming,
Marbled with static like gristly meat. A chorus of engines churns.

Silence taunts: a dare. Everything that disappears
Disappears as if returning somewhere" (Smith, 24).


This was one of my favorite pieces throughout all of Tracy Smith's Life of Mars. I loved how she compared the creation of the universe to an "original motion picture soundtrack." It creates a tone that allows us to think of the actual creation of the universe in a different way. "White noise" makes me think of silence" whereas "black noise" makes me think of the creation of human life. Humans are then put on Earth and left to decide how to handle their given circumstance by listening. I also found it interesting that she uses so many 'S' words: "snare, sax, stratosphere, singe, synthesized strings" etc. This leads me to my question for the week: what could this indicate? Is Smith attempting to imply something here, or is the repetition of 'S' words simply a coincidence? I'm also curious to hear what other people's opinions are on the overall tone of the poem. After reading it a few times, I've felt a sense of despair, disappointment, and confusion. Could she be portraying her feeling of hopelessness and confusion about humankind as a whole, or is she referring to her own personal life?