pity the child unsure

pity the child unsure of his own worth

whose defense is bluff, bluster, bullying

the child grows – tall if not up

still fearful without compassion

or even acknowledgement of others

still wielding bluff and bullying

but having outgrown the pity others

were willing to afford him as a child

deer and dear humans

can deer have had thousands

upon thousands of generations

without a philosopher among them?

has it been the size of the brain

or acceptance of culture that what

is good enough for father

is and should be

good enough for son?

or fatalism in religion

allowance that all is pre-determined

and useless to struggle against?

or combinations of all the above

that styme the lone maverick

when he tries to question?

dear human beings have not

been advancing so well recently

seeming satisfied to blame, victimize

and hate