The Shellfish Gene
by Peter Porter
In theory Evolution's just as open
To altruism as to selfishness
But as the waters lave me I betoken
No abstraction beyond shellfishness.
The problem is our tide-warped mensuration.
We live not long, our scale is planetary;
Just single soldiers of a warrior nation,
Time-truncated, ex-explanatory.
I can't be pictured but in diagram,
Yet this one shell's to me a satrapy—
A trillion more of me and still I am
Like Atreus's House an atrophy.
‘The Rocks! The Rocks!’ ten thousand voices quicken.
Some self-inspired things from sea have waddled
And others seen their adaptation sicken,
Myself in sheer adjacence safely swaddled.
Source:
http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/p ... ne-0288261
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
by Peter Porter
In theory Evolution's just as open
To altruism as to selfishness
But as the waters lave me I betoken
No abstraction beyond shellfishness.
The problem is our tide-warped mensuration.
We live not long, our scale is planetary;
Just single soldiers of a warrior nation,
Time-truncated, ex-explanatory.
I can't be pictured but in diagram,
Yet this one shell's to me a satrapy—
A trillion more of me and still I am
Like Atreus's House an atrophy.
‘The Rocks! The Rocks!’ ten thousand voices quicken.
Some self-inspired things from sea have waddled
And others seen their adaptation sicken,
Myself in sheer adjacence safely swaddled.
Source:
http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/p ... ne-0288261
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows