The burden of biological organization

The Helix's Tale

I need time. I need time.

To shed my aqueous armor

To align flickering, eager dipoles

I need time, to liberate

A trillion proton-bonded brothers into the great entropic void

To affirm my allegiance to the Second Law

I need time, to entomb life's grease, in a grave of its ecstatic making

To charge my exterior, with the splendor of Coulomb's wanton attraction

And bridge countless protean bonds, across four degrees of separation

I need time, to sustain the nucleus, so that things don't fall apart

To compose my own prelude, across three and four tenths of an angstrom

And create order

Within the maddening stochastic chaos

I need time, to once again hear Linus's roar

Yes, I need time. And I need energy unfettered.

I am

The Alpha Helix

The Unfolded State's Lament (with apologies to J. Alfred Prufrock)

‎"Do I dare!" And, "Do I dare."
Gaze at the sulfurous globes, nested within the cores
Pry open the secrets, of protium bridged
Tamper with force constants, tussle with water liberated
Break the demonic attraction, of plus and minus
Savor the embrace, of oil and water laid bare
Drive the chains, to entropic despair
Do I dare, Sir! Do I dare
Do I dare
Unfold the protein