Mechanisms


Maybe we are only cogs, scraps,
and gears pumping in a giant motor
which we cannot see from this vantage
Maybe we are moving forward, progressing,
or de-evolving slowly, one day destined
to choke on our own dust
But I know there is a fact called Mother’s 
Love, and I know there are other brands
of affection, which seem above the animal
I know that there is a flow to being human,
which seems to course more gently,
even while we fight, shop, and scramble.
 



 
Leopard Skins


Sometimes we put on the leopard’s
skin and pretend to be faster, becoming –
always becoming
Sometimes we look with awe, with unspoken
jealousy at the ape in its cage, preening,
listless in the sun, slow-moving
We do not talk about the adoration
we have for the zoo, the unchained sensation
that comes even from chaining nature,
all too quick to chew and grind the tender meats
we order for lunchtime,
territorial for our shrieking young.