Note: The following piece titled "DNA" is my response to a timed "pen and paper" writing exercise (10 minutes) produced in my very first writers' group session. Read more about the experience surrounding this piece in my essay titled Writers' Group.

DNA Posted Oct-9-2006
Write about a body part/feature you have in common with a relative...
I have my Great Grandmother's DNA. Though I've never met her nor seen a picture of her, I know I have it somewhere within me.

How can I be so sure? Well, I did some investigating in and old library book I found on the shelf titled Human Biology. The book was filled with many detailed pictures of the things going on under our veneer called "skin."

Thumbing through this book passing by "A" (Appendix), "B" (Brain), "C" (Colon), I came to "D" and found "DNA."

Don't ask me to give you the scientifical, biological definition of DNA ('cause I've already forgotten) — the essence of it is that it's a neat little encoding in our cells that gets passed on from parents to children. And from children to their children, and to their children and so on.

So by sheer power of deduction I'm able to say that my Great Grandmother's DNA was passed down to my Grandmother who then passed it down to my Mother who then in turn (like those little Russian dolls within dolls), passed it on to me.

Oh, I just remembered what DNA means: Da Natural Absorption of Relative Stuff. •

© 2006 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com. All rights reserved.