We think our civilization
Is a wonder, without peer --
Sandwiched between ice ages,
We're lucky to be here.
In all the world's long history,
There've not been many times
When the race of man could have evolved
In such beneficial climes.
Do you think it was an accident
That things worked out this way;
And luck that man did not appear
When dinosaurs held sway?
I'd like to think that there's a point,
Or some thing accomplished here --
But we truly just despoil and burn...
My, how the gods must leer.
And when the ice age comes again,
Will we be here to see it;
Or will we simply self-destruct
In a misanthropic fit?
Author notes
I think this one is self-explanatory. 
For the record, I know the exact meaning of "Occam's Razor", but the title is a reference to an inside joke between myself, a friend and Robert Heinlein.
Written May 1st, 2006
A contest entry
- Occam's Razor - WInklings Contest #145 by Lyndon.
1750 points, ended December 3, 2008, 11 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 23 of 23
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Congratulations for taking top prize with this wonderful well thought out piece. I especially like the way it ends leaving the question to the reader. Original and thought provoking poem. Bravo!
Love,
Amera♥
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Congrats on a richly deserved award.
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This reminds me of my mother's sage advice to always observe the haircuts of the stylists. Ask the one whose hair you like best who cut her hair. I particularly liked stanza four because it seems more comforting to think there is a point to it all.
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O Yeah
I will "cut short" my comment.... -
You go to a town that has two barbers. You go in and get a hair cut. The hair cut is very bad, but the barber's haircut is very good. Logically, that means the other barber is the one you should go to next time since he cut the hair and shaved the barber you went to first.
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I love the title. The "who shaved the barber?" really lit my curiosity aflame. Quick question-- who did shave the barber? You didn't tell me in the poem. I will be pondering that during work. Is it like who killed Mr. Body, where no one really knows? Until the end, when it was the butler.
Sorry, rambled. Great word choice too. I love "misanthropic". -
geez your too intelligent
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I love this, its really deep but at the same time.. light. I especially like
"Do you think it was an accident
That things worked out this way;
And luck that man did not appear
When dinosaurs held sway?"
Great job. -
"And when the ice age comes again,
Will we be here to see it;
Or will we simply self-destruct
In a misanthropic fit?"
Excellent rhetoric questions...Will we simply self destruct or wait for an ice age...? (In ice age there is an anticipation of an end)
A probing work.
D -
A pleasure to read, as always.
- Cor -
A very nice poem from you again, Jim. This one made me think... Indeed, what will happen when the ice age comes again. I am sure there will be an ice age, if the world is not already destroyed by then. We probably will not experience this in our lifetime though, but the generations after us... who knows. It could be that we simply self-destruct in a misanthropic fit, because it might be hard to get food then. Desperate needs lead to desperate deeds.
Anna.
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Great!
I can't tell the exact mood of this one.... it seems religious but I am not for sure... I love your word choice though!
Great write!
KAY
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OOH! Heinlein, very influential in my youth.
I really love this poem. Reminds me of my I'll go first formula only on a species wide basis. Sometimes I see our species as a parasite on the backside of earth. My dogs seem more intelligent than we are as they, at least, don't shit where they eat. I have been missing you and your work.
This combination of unforced rhyme and social conciousness is very heady for me. I will now need to take on rhyme again, although I am very like a bull in a china shop when I do.[as you know
Thanks for a great read and inspiration. I hope you feel better soon. I can identify as I have pnemonia again and the can't breathe thing is getting kinda old.lol.
Peace and best wishes,
Rob -
"And when the ice age comes again,
Will we be here to see it;
Or will we simply self-destruct
In a misanthropic fit?"
Fire & ice, JD...fire & ice...well done, my Friend...Good luck in the contest...
Wanda
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excellent
This is a thought provoking poem. You have brought up a number of things for us to muse about as we gaze into the polluted clouds in the sky...Well, at least we don't have to try and escape from the dinosaurs! Funny how 'man evolved at just the right time', isn't it? Makes one wonder if there is a Creator??? Excellent poem! -
What a great question. This is by far one of the most thought provoking writes I have seen. Awesome.
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W riteON!
Very kewl spin on questions of the grand purpose of our civilization and its altrusitic diffence from supposed lesser species... Excellent examination of our GRAND PLAN in time ... -
It is as you've said,"self explanatory." But that doesn't mean I have to like it's premise. Are we sure we didn't co-exist during the dinosaur's reign? I'm not convinced. We might of gone through daily weed outs of being devoured. I'm sure our numbers were much smaller. But I digress.Sorry. Personally,I don't want to look that far ahead.But from a purely scientific
point of view,this more than less tells the story.~~Suseann -
very good
I vote for self distruction. Love the poem. Love the sentiment. Well written -
this is quite self-expANITORY INDEED AND THE RHYME IS SOLID FOR THE MOST PART WITH A NICE FLOW good luck in the contest
love and light
blaze -
Thought Provoking
You're right, no gray area here Love the message and the way it's delivered. Like your rhyme and flow. You ask some good quesstions here, just wish I had a vague idea what the answers might be!
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Not a bad piece, even though the "Man as evil spawn" does get a bit tiresome. I would perhaps suggest that you go back to Occams Razor once again to get the full meaning. Perhaps even read a Conan-Doyle or two. Again, a good poem.
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Yes it is. Ty for sharing it.
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