…or a chimp,

our second cousin

and therefore further up the choosing chain.

Or a meerkat,

that social scamperer of the African Plain,

stretched out on the ceiling

of the Sistine Chapel,

painted by an arrogant, bearded Meerkat artist

capturing the moment

when some huge, gray-chinned Meerkat Divinity

reached out his long arm to touch

the outstretched paw

to fill the little fella’

(or lady! How could you tell!?)

with an awesome, species-life-changing

sliver of Meerkat-God-Soul!!

But it wasn’t.

It was ol’ Adam.

Merely laying there,

reaching out on some chance –

of a blessing?

That he didn’t know he wanted.

And certainly didn’t deserve

so long as he had

Eve to fuck

and apples to eat.

A spark in the mind?

The fire of freedom?

Who knew?

Who cared?

Thanks a lot, god.

I often wish it was that meerkat

‘ got the gift,

leaving me to enjoy the fun

of sex and simplicity

with my happy, ignorant, species

beneath the broiling African sun!

I would have been well content.