The human is a ridiculous species,
Pushing out babies as it pushes out feces.
The definition of the soul?
Simply that which understands the whole,
And with this understanding forgives the whole sorry mess
Of being human in the ignorant brevity of its acute distress.
Men are hard-wired to conquer, build, kill,
And love pathetically in accordance with fantasy and will.
Women are expert at fooling themselves and others,
Which they must do, to love, to become mothers,
Hand in hand with the creepy, unworthy example
Of calculating, indoor males, wholly selfish and not beautiful,
Or the rugged male outdoor type, running off to climb a hill
Or kick a ball; propagation never meant to fulfill
Anyone, but necessarily pushing onto a future state
Otherwise empty, beating into submission children, hate,
And all the impulses which desire blindly seeks,
So in a whole lifetime, the sum of happiness is a couple of weeks,
When in delight and trust we find bliss here and there
By accident, joy in the face of necessity, so rare,
The whole enterprise such a doubtful, aging mess,
That the hungry world, pressing down, forces out a yes,
As we curl into wakeful sleep with a little music, fast, or slow,
A worrisome vacation beginning, and that yes meant no.