112917

Eyes to See

The flavor of carrots is generated by 36 genes;

29 of these genes,

inserted just so in the human genome,

confer near immortality--

works on 11% of us.

Folks don't react well, knowing

the people next door are going on without them.

Disaster on this scale is a cultural tsunami.

Not content with their brief

day in the sun, many of the 89%

burn, rend, scream, kill:

embrace death,

if only they can take some

immortals with them

to the vanishing point.

It's over. No one speaks of that time.

After the Mayfly Wars we begin to Live:

artworks on a grand scale,

literature refined to pellucidity,

but creative breakthroughs, not so much,

that's a game of youth,

and there is so little of that.

Carrots, carrot genes,

everything tastes like carrots

broccoli, corn, potatoes, carrots

tomatoes, peas, raspberries, carrots

filet mignon, even human flesh:

carrots, all.

Then folks get desperate, but

nothing works

the taste is in us

not the food

not

tires

sand

potting soil

asphalt

you can run, but, you know....

So I'm trying to remember that genetics shtick

and it's hard, oh so hard, after unnumbered years

of purposeless satiation,

but I'm teaching this kid,

and she's getting it, and I've never prayed so hard

for eggs, potatoes, rosemary,

onions, chicken, pepper, apples,

chocolate, artichokes, mango, mustard,

ANYTHING,

but not carrots.