In the Next Life, Canto III, stanzas 1-4

CANTO III: THE REDEMPTION

In which a boy who lives outside the carriers meets a girl who lives inside one of the carriers, and who inadvertently contributes to his theory regarding human behavior.
The standard of value…is man's life, or: that which is required for man's survival qua man.
—Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness, p. 25

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Chapter 1
Darna
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Enough of robots and their gods for now.
I can’t identify with them. I need
a human hero, and if you’ll allow,
I’ll grab a lump of clay, and we’ll proceed.

Like most good characters we might create,
we could describe him any way we choose.
We’re able to find words to indicate
whatever aspect might be in the news.

When we first meet him, ‘adolescent’ works.
‘Agnostic’ or ‘wise guy’ might give a clue.
He had a name along with all his quirks,
but ‘Ciral’ doesn’t tell us what he’d do.

Of all the titles we might give him, though
(the many nouns he’s known by, one might say),
‘Outsider’ would be the most apropos.
And there he stood, outside in every way.

Ciral: Merrimac does not seem to be concerned that readers might be annoyed at having to change their pronunciation of Ciral’s name it becomes obvious later in the story. I hope I do not spoil his fun too much by telling everyone who reads the footnotes on the first pass that it rhymes with “viral”.
There he stood: And enough of the first person singular, too.

©2010 Louis A. Merrimac