evolution

a land shark

once confided in me

that he had been

untrue to his wife

 

but he hastened 

to add he had 

always been

a good 

corporate citizen

 

he would ride 

the train

to his mistress

though lately

her features 

had thickened

and her make-up 

had become

pasty

 

a kiss 

on her cheek

and his lips 

would sink

into that 

heavy flesh

 

and on pulling

back out

he would often note

that his beak 

had become

coated in yellow wax

or was it 

tallow?

 

later on in life

he developed 

nose polyps

and fatty

bowel movements

 

all because he

had imbibed 

social Darwinism

and in the act

lost all respect

and dignity

Reviews

[Eilis]

There are some telling signifiers in the poem as the land shark seems to view his admissions unironically and perhaps with pride. And of course, at the end, sort of blames outcomes on something he absorbed rather than something he saw himself as actively participating in.

I suppose this is a big problem we face now and have for some time—though we are witnessing the dreadful result of a hands off (minds off?) approach to morality. Often those who decry immoral behavior the loudest are the biggest proponents and enact the greatest harm to those in their communities. Moral relativism is spoken of negatively by the very people who wield it to their advantage. I have to wonder how many are aware of their hypocrisy. It’s a genuine question I have.

I find with your poetry that much of it was posted a decade or more ago but its relevance has not diminished. Rather it feels more urgently relevant to me. It’s hard not to feel that the world is falling to pieces while people like the land shark continue to eschew blame. Instead somehow justifying morally dubious actions by convincing themselves they have somehow paid their dues and risen above reproach. Sorry if this is a misreading of the poem. Just feels very close in my mind to the reality we are up against. Strong poetry as always.

[SkinlessFrank]

Thanks Ellis. It’s been a while since I thought of these themes, but your interpretation is along the lines of what likely was (and still is) going through my head. Sometimes, even those close to us will justify their despicable behaviors by accounting for what they “imbibed” or were fed as children. That this lets them off the hook has always been a kind of conundrum for me. It raises the impossible to answer question of who is to blame and are we prisoners of our pasts. I am sure that no one has the answers to these questions, only more questions. As always, I appreciate your deep reading.

[. serah .]

-- i was just watching manoj night shyamalan's wayward pines... (season 2, episode 4)... it's a kinda poem about evolution... -- this one is in the same league but entirely different... -- i often wonder about how i got derailed and ceased to be a part of society... and this piece is so insightful for me that i'm feeling light-headed and relieved... -- i had read about social Darwinism and the manner in which it has been used to justify racism etc. ... but this poem takes my understanding to a new level... and it applies to me because i used to be a part of the corporate world... and none of its citizens thought i was any good so they got rid of me... i remember the moment of amputation from society... my former 'best friend' (who was supposed to inform me about a particular job opening in the same company where i met her but where she was working and i wasn't at that point in time) returned from work and informed me that she had applied for that job and she'd made it... -- for nearly three weeks, all we talked about was that job and how perfect it would be for me and how easy it would be for me to get it because the person heading that team was aware of the work i'd done earlier and had told me to contact him if i was ever looking for a job... but suddenly the 'friendship' was over... i had to leave town and return to my parents... -- i wonder if she ever suffered because of what she did... and then i get distracted... and return to the present moment... where there's someone very precious in my life and i'm reading a spectacular piece of writing... with a deeper insight into what happened... and with the clarity that i won't be returning to the corporate world... maybe my enlightenment is the nose polyp she's suffering from... who knows...

-- thank you for re-publishing this post, Maestro D. ... it has answered many questions for me...

[OTownPete]

The cynicism of life's progression is encaptured in this tongue in cheek observation. Your friend in words, Pete

[Emily B]

in this as in all, which rules do we follow and which do we break?

i've been suffocating under all the new laws

[Robin]

survival of the fittest , diluted by societal norms - the standard deviation ...

such is illusion of the greener grass ...

[saratogaparty]

Definitely hearing the jaws music in the background.

[Kenneth The Poet]

Quite the dystopian piece I think. I love the last two stanzas here, which sort of justify hatred for evolution by creationists. That's just what I see here. This isn't as disturbing as some of your other writes, yet the biting sarcasm and existential truths still remain.

Excellent.

[Muse]

:)

another brilliant write. I liked how you made light of cheating husband trying to justify his hunger with shark-like hungry genetics. His appetite backfires later in life. Lost of self-respect and dignity.

[roarke]

that's the trouble with evolution. Or, " don't go sticking your nose in..." Perfect rhythm.

[Ed Hart]

"Where's my Dinner?!"