by Fred Cox
Special Homo
Neanderthalensis
Focused of mind,
You were not like us
You were not our kind
We often wonder
‘Where did you go?’
‘Could you not keep up?’
‘Were you simply too slow?’
The answer, of course
Can never be known
When it comes to Homo
We’re all alone
Sapiens sapiens
Special are we
Driving cars, flying planes
Not swinging from trees
We’re special because
God saw in us
Himself reflected…
We’re worth the extra fuss!
Habilis, Erectus
Antecessor, Idaltu
You were not special
He did not love you
Denial
What a relief to have
Science in my life
To relieve my burden
End suffering and strife
My home is heated and cooled
To my desire
By the flick of a switch
No need for ice or fire
I can talk with ease
To whomever I please
No matter where they are
Very near or very far
When I’m hurt I can have
Surgery, x-ray, or MRI
An autopsy can be performed
If unexpectedly…I die
We can vaporize a city
With fission and fusion
Of this there can be
Very little confusion
Computers now fit
In the palm of my hand
Or on a desk
In poor, far off lands
These conveniences are built
On solid, empirical ground
The principles understood
In science they were found
The science cannot be denied
For these things work indeed
Our society has grown and changed
From science came the seed
But the same science makes claims
With which I cannot agree
Like the age of the Earth
Or life from the sea
For these claims run counter
To what I was told
When I was very young
By someone who was old
Too young to think
With logic and reason
“Believe what we preach!”
“Life began in Eden!”
Believe what they said
Despite its absurdity
To do otherwise would land me
In hell for eternity
With my eyes I see
And experience every day
The validity of science
When at work, at home, or at play
So what is utterly undeniable
I will continue to deny
Because some idiot scare me shitless
When I was just a child
