Weld
by Katie Benson

I can't show you on account of the light,
But I can explain it pretty well.
Cover yourself or you'll go blind.
Clip this here to make the circuit.
Hold it real close without touching and pull this trigger.
You'll see a small forest rise from the metal,
Growing so fast branches turn to stars as they hit the ground.
Do not be scared, do not jump, the power in your hands is lethal.
If you look closely in the undergrowth,
You can see everything the steel has dreamed to become.
Don't get distracted, you must keep moving slowly on,
Cyclically, creating a whole behind you.

Katie Benson is 22, from Seattle and majoring in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology at Fairhaven College, Western Washington University. She spends her time doing wildlife rehabilitation, writing, sewing, and playing with her hedgehog. She's a big fan of the arts and the sciences, and hopes she'll be able to continue with both.