We are Worse than Animals, or The Failure of Human Society
“Who makes the rules?” asks the ferocious lion.
“Not you that’s for sure,” said the man.
“Why is that?” asked the bright tiger.
“Because you walk on all fours
and cannot open doors.”
“But I can!” yelled the big, black bear.
“So why can’t I help in this rule-making affair?”
The man chuckled “Stop asking silly questions you savage beast.
We are human: top of the food chain, elite,
superior intellect, no animal can meet.”
“Despite that though, don’t we cause a lot of damage?” interrupts an inquisitive child.
The man shrugs his shoulders. “Nothing that we cannot manage.”
“I wouldn’t say so, sir. Because, despite the rules we have imagined
events keep happening that are kind of tragic. Like murdered innocence
happening because someone disagreed
or someone went on a joyful killing spree.”
“Animals murder..” the man tries to respond.
“But not senselessly,” the child disrupts not letting this bullshit go on.
“Animals murder for their own survival
While we kill for sport every once in awhile
Or we kill because we misunderstand
But still don’t apologize, claiming ‘My bad.”
“So we cause a little damage,
does not mean that we are savage.” The man starts to sweat.
“I’d say savage is the perfect word for our society
because we engage in violence of a variety
that would even cause animals overwhelming anxiety.
We chop down their homes
and take other humans out of their own,
we kill and leave the body cold
while animals at least eat their prey whole,
we rape our people, tear them down to the seems.
No wonder the animals always choose to flee.”
The child might have a point, the man thinks, but won’t admit
Instead asks “What’s the point of all this?”
“To make you see that we are ruthless and vile
that our rules are not working, making us wild
I see this, and I’m only just a child.”
So look to the lions and tigers and bears, oh my,
not as scary when compared to human lies.
Lions and tigers and bears, seem vicious
but human minds, oh so more malicious.
So ask yourselves what would you do?
Stay committed to the human rule
or let the animals inside claw out of you?
4 thoughts on "We are Worse than Animals, or The Failure of Human Society"
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interesting choice of “lions, tigers and bears” as seeing any one of these in the wild is enough to put the fear of death into any person, in fact, our ancestral memory commemorates this fear goes back far enough for us to remind us from time to time of our frailty as members of the animal kingdom. What about other animals though, I’m sure depending on the season we could take inspiration from other animals as well, what animal(s) inspires you this season?
Thank you for the kind words! I think I was drawn to using carnivorous animals and that’s why I landed on the “lions, tigers, and bears” idea. Plus since a child is the defender of them I think using these animals works best because of the childlike association we can have with these animals because of The Wizard of Oz and Winnie the Pooh. I think for this season I have found inspiration in a variety of creatures. Some specific ones are my cats and insects.
Your last line is the kicker for me. We often speak of “the beast within,” alluding to primal anger, but you reframe this cliche in a brilliant way that makes the reader rethink their definitions of savage and civilized. Nice work!
Thank you! I toyed with the last line for a while. I’m glad that the ending inspired deep thinking 🙂