you probably know this
but the right whale
is called the right whale
because whalers
found them easy to catch

in fact
they’ve been called
a lot of other things
during their long exposure
to humans:
black whales
seven-foot-bone whales
rocknose whales
sletbag
nordcaper
you name it

of course
the truth is
nothing in nature
has a name
names don’t exist
despite the ludicrous ideas
your parents had
all those long months
of your suspension
as you floated
wordlessly in space
waiting to breach