by Roberta Batorsky
 |
As soon as the genetic testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on March 23, 2025, concerns about what would happen to the personal information contained in its massive genetic and health information database were swift and widespread. A few days after, a U.S. judge ruled that the company could sell its consumer data as part of the bankruptcy. —Gizmodo, April 7, 2025. |
23andme is out of cash
but they have all my DNA
Boy, would I like to settle their hash
get my stuff back from them today
Someone could cook a clone of me
build a murderer or pedophile
I could turn out more horrible
morphed into a raptor or reptile
Would they use my letters
to cause harm to me and mine?
Or, could it work out for the better
to improve the basic design
A version thinner prettier funnier
someone proud to wear my name
Or, the duplicate only in veneer,
my identity would claim
So, if they have people’s recipes
a new world could they create
of peace, tolerance tranquility
a universe free of hate
Where Trump and his minions
Bannon Rubio Musk Vance and Waltz
are on a garbage scow due north of Greenland
ice-bound ‘til they express remorse
23andme is out of cash
but they have all my DNA
Boy would I like to settle their hash
get my stuff back from them TODAY
but they have all my DNA
Boy, would I like to settle their hash
get my stuff back from them today
Someone could cook a clone of me
build a murderer or pedophile
I could turn out more horrible
morphed into a raptor or reptile
Would they use my letters
to cause harm to me and mine?
Or, could it work out for the better
to improve the basic design
A version thinner prettier funnier
someone proud to wear my name
Or, the duplicate only in veneer,
my identity would claim
So, if they have people’s recipes
a new world could they create
of peace, tolerance tranquility
a universe free of hate
Where Trump and his minions
Bannon Rubio Musk Vance and Waltz
are on a garbage scow due north of Greenland
ice-bound ‘til they express remorse
23andme is out of cash
but they have all my DNA
Boy would I like to settle their hash
get my stuff back from them TODAY
Roberta Batorsky is a Biology teacher, poet and freelance science writer. She has published poems in Fine-lines and Heron Clan and is working on her first poetry book. Her science blog is https://solipsistssoiree.blogspot.com and her instagram is RobertaBatorsky_poetry.