{"id":871,"date":"2011-07-15T16:22:57","date_gmt":"2011-07-15T22:22:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bendreth.com\/?p=871"},"modified":"2011-07-15T16:30:44","modified_gmt":"2011-07-15T22:30:44","slug":"evolutions-stepchildren","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/?p=871","title":{"rendered":"Evolution’s Stepchildren"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a poem I wrote back in 2002. Note the dated topical reference in the last line – I actually wanted at the time to draw a cartoon with the hostess facing the one primitive primate among the contestants and saying, “You are<\/em> the missing link!”, but I can’t draw. I ran across it by accident today, and thought it would be worth posting. Apart from that, most of the impetus behind this one was the desire to come up with something that had a quick, bubbling rhythm to it.<\/p>\n

I’ll note that it’s possible to sing this to “Turkey in the Straw” with a little forcing here and there, but I won’t claim that it’s a good idea.<\/p>\n

Evolution’s Stepchildren<\/p>\n

In the course of evolution, newer species will emerge.
\nThey develop out of older ones, as though there is an urge
\nFor them to try to become better (however that’s defined),
\nBut the process takes forever, which some people seem to mind.<\/p>\n

Improvement comes in two ways, as I’m certain that you know.
\nYour descendents can be better, which eventually will show
\nThrough accumulated changes, as the generations pass.
\nAnd the species is a new one when enough changes amass.<\/p>\n

The other way is faster, and it only needs a fool
\nWho improves the race by bowing out of our genetic pool.
\nThis happens rather often, so it cannot be ignored,
\nAnd we give to those who qualify their very own award.<\/p>\n

Named after Charles Darwin, it’s not one for which you’d vie,
\nSince to qualify to win it, you must nearly always die.
\nDo these people ever stop to think before they do their stunts?
\nDo they realize that they’ll be known as intellectual runts?<\/p>\n

Does their life flash by before them when they realize what they’ve done?
\nDo they hear the angels tell them that they’ll soon have no more fun?
\nWell, I know I’m not impressive, but I’d really hate to think
\nThat I’d hear a voice from Heaven say, “You _are_ the weakest link!”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a poem I wrote back in 2002. Note the dated topical reference in the last line – I actually wanted at the time to draw a cartoon with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fun-stuff","category-song-and-dance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bendreth.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}