Sapien Construct

I am so desperately lonely
You dance carefree, to the tune of our ancestors
The ones that danced before we tried to make our lives easier
Your eyes can’t see apathy; your heart can’t feel the coating
You, are built to live

Yesterday you grabbed my hand, my mind, your skin turned ashen
Your eyes clouded with cataracts of apocalyptic imagination run amok
Aha! I was happy, for the briefest moment, bathing in your misery
Then your eyes cleared and your skin shone in ignorant glory
You, were built to live

On Sunday, I asked you what happened when you touched me
You said you saw my life in half tone, you said there was no color
I told you that color was a myth, that joy was beyond our reach
You said that color and joy are optional and asked if I had eaten
You, were built to live

I screamed at you, then for you, and then around you
I pointed my finger in your face and shook it wildly
You smiled and began to dance again, to the tune of our ancestors
I sat at your feet and began to cry and asked why you?
You, were built to live

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Your poem expresses how I've been feeling thru-out this last hectic year (closer to 10 years actually) . . . I live in the wilderness without TV coverage, no cell phone . . . no experience at all with covid (never wore a mask) & all the other junk in the world is minimized, all that the rest of the world screams about in public discourse constantly. I am in another world altogether & I keep drifting further & further from "civilization" & all the chafing "out there" (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[NotUsinganymore]

Very interesting piece about ancestors. I enjoyed the words you used for this.

[h d e rushin]

I got into this debate online about the Native Indian image that is on "Land-O-Lakes butter. I pointed out that the Native's of America didn't have cows or goats, so they didn't make, consume or store butter. Nothing is obverse when confronted with the truth. You cannot deny the opposite of what the given proposition affirms. Loneliness (your loneliness) has no mutual intolerance. But you were describing the magic of love; the dogged perseverance of it. How you can grab it by the shoulders and shake it until all the unreasonableness of it shakes loose.....and yet still can't recognize it's complexity. .. nicely done....dana

[Crowley]

Thank you so much for that awesome review, your thoughts and insights are appreciated for sure. Never thought about the Land O Lakes image before at all!!!! What a great catch. Makes me feel fairly obtuse. As a species are singular genetic focus is survival, just like any other. To make this easier we have concocted so many ways that actually make it harder. We can’t do simple. We don’t seem to be hard wired that way. Did the ancestors have it easier, no, I don’t think so, but they didn’t have to take in so much information. Thanks again.

[Beccy]

Our ancestors knew and understood the true value of nature, and for me, your first verse sets the poetical scene perfectly. More and more we are becoming separated from the natural order of things and it seems this headlong rush to make our lives 'easier,' is unstoppable and ultimately will become the sword on which our species falls.

As I recall, a central proposition of Harari's Book, is that we came to dominate the earth because we are the only animal that can cooperate flexibly in large numbers. Mmhh, that may well be, but given the divisive state of the world today, it seems to me that overall we are doing a pretty poor job; and I am personally more minded that we are simply just better killing machines.

Beccy.

PS. Did you know that as ants get older they change careers, just like we do. Keep on dancing :))

[Crowley]

I think he came to a similar thought process at the end of the book. It was crazy how straight forward and undramatized he was. That book was very interesting. The only book I have enjoyed as much lately was Ghengis Kahn and the making of the modern world. I’m ready for a change in career... lol. I will ke egg p dancing as long as you come out on occasion to dance with me!!!

[Kay/Hayden]

Just the line "you, were built to live" is so enchanting and can speak out to me. I didn't even bother with the rest of the poem, to be honest, I spent 5 minutes admiring that one line.

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

I miss you Cee! Come out, come out, where ever you are!

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

such the odd couple....you explain it very well here...the dreamer and the realist...always the sighed realization...you were built to live.

[Neville]

I enjoyed these words Crowley.. they made me consider the unity of opposites & the whole they create and their place in and around us..

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I think the Sapien construct is that she will forever dance, and be colorful and we will never quite understand her steps enough to dance with her...we just don't have that theatrical color in our lives.
We are sadly just supporting cast for her, she is the star. The colorful one...She was built to live.
and misery loves company, but when we find that company is no longer miserable, then what do we do?
love this interesting piece,
j.

[Lorry]

This reads to me like the old school viewing the new school and feeling such pangs of jealousy at all its shiny new bits.
Or perhaos a lost twilight zone episode, where you are sent down to judge us and you find us all guilty.... Of being inhumanely happy and considerate.
Me? I'm just keeping my head down and hoping they don't throw me in one of those new shiny cages at the human zoo,
They will prod us with sticks to make us angry and get a reaction, and will smile, clap and take photos of us ancients, only infuriating us more by their lack of fury.
Bunch of savages if you ask me 😀

[Crowley]

Lol...I’ll bring cocktails and chips and feed you through bars.