Mans

By Don Kingfisher Campbell

Let me get this straight
these hu mans are
divided into two mans
man and womb man
and they have the nerves
to differentiate each other
even further by something
small as color, tint, hue (man!)

Help me understand
these hew mans believe
they can create
machine exhaust
without repercussion
to whew man lungs and plan it

Then these hee umans
put chemicals in their food
and bodies and act surprised
when their internal
illnesses multiply
like plants die

Strangest of all
they have created
the greatest good
imaginable: poetry

and soak their brains
instead with
trivial news
game shows
video consoles
slam bang movies
and occasionally
listen to poetic words
only in times of
untimely death

Alright I think I’ve
got these hugh mans
figured out they specialize
in underachieving
so as to resemble
their gods who seem to
have the same traits

No wonder they’ve merely
existed for a million years
been “civilized” a few thousand
they should be gone
in a century or two
unless they learn to make
a hospitable existence
with their plane knit