The Conjugation of the Paramecium by Muriel Rukeyser

The Conjugation of the Paramecium

This has nothing

 to do with

propagating 

The species

is continued

as so many are

(among the smaller creatures)

by fission 

(and this species

is very small

next in order to

the amoeba, the beginning one) 

The paramecium

achieves, then,

immortality

by dividing 

But when

the paramecium

desires renewal

strength another joy

this is what 

the paramecium does: 

The paramecium

lies down beside

another paramecium 

Slowly inexplicably

the exchange

takes place

in which

some bits

of the nucleus of each

are exchanged 

for some bits 

of the nucleus

of the other 

This is called

the conjugation of the paramecium.