Monday, March 22, 2010
In the Next Life, Canto I, stanzas 1-4
IN THE NEXT LIFE
CANTO I: THE CREATION
In which several concerned persons undertake to save the world by exploiting its impending destruction, and a sort of robot is employed to this purpose, being designed to carry people in hostile environments for extended periods.
Do you ever get the feeling that ‘free will’ is a joke?
—The Book of the Subgenius, Chapter 0
I watched a pair of cardinals today.
The hen and cock were never far apart.
They always stay together, experts say.
I must confess a warming of my heart.
Now, any male chimpanzee, so I’ve heard,
obtains what sex he can without regard
for whom he had before, unlike the bird
who, with his mate, brings cheer to my back yard.
So why is it that I do not possess
the nature of our closer relative?
I envy him his sexual success,
and yet I’m like the finch in how I live.
Not only do I act that way; I’m proud
to be devoted to my only bride.
Monogamy is what we say aloud,
while lack thereof is something we must hide.
© 2010 Louis A. Merrimac
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A couple notes.
ReplyDelete1) The epigraph is from the Book of the SubGenius (1983, McGraw-Hill; 1987, Simon & Schuster). This is some sort of parody cult. I don't recommend that you visit their website (subgenius.com).
2) Cardinal: I don't know where Mr. Merrimac lives, but I'm guessing somewhere in North America, and there are only a few birds that go by this name. He is likely referring to Cardinalis cardinalis, the Northern Cardinal. The monogamous behavior of this species is easily observed due to its conspicuous coloring, sexual dimorphism, and fondness for bird feeders.