the earth sat down to think
and the stillness of her giant form
made quiet and dizzy all of her beings
so they settled into a weightless dream
the babies were the only ones awake
and they crawled back into their mothers' wombs
(oh, wouldn't you?)
the mothers crawled into the earth
and when she was asked why she stopped her spin
she said

gravity has taken its toll on me

the rumbling of her voice shook
down the trees
who were relieved
to find such a reprieve
and the creatures lifted their heads
to find final release
skin sank into grass
fur melted into moss and to rock they said

gravity has taken its toll on me

the earth she'd had enough of that pressing thing upon all things
so she fell down to her knees
she begged all of the babies to scream

and the universe echoed with a mighty wind
it said
gravity has taken its toll
gravity has taken its toll on me
gravity has taken its toll on me