POEM: Conceit of Man

An elephant will never forget.
No car keys to misplace, I’ll bet.
A tiger is fearless, I will confess,
but it’ll never be audited by the IRS.

An owl may be wise; you can tell by the eyes.
But it’s never asked to comment on the size of a girl’s thighs.
Dolphins are smart ones, that much is true.
But, pray tell, who is in whom’s zoo?

In all domains humans think themselves the greatest.
And we are the very best of sadists.
You’ll never see a bonobo bureaucrat,
nor get tech support from a vampire bat.

At masochism, too, we’re none too shabby.
At the karaoke bar, ever see a tabby?
Ever seen a chimp with a nipple ring?
I’ll tell you now, that’s not a thing.

Our narcissism has grown beyond the pale.
One lifetime to the rocket from the sail
will give any species some cerebral swelling.
I’m not saying our’s isn’t a tale worth telling.
Let’s just make sure it doesn’t turn cautionary.
Basking in awesomeness, one forgets to be wary.
Next thing you know, super-smart apes are getting the itch,
or the Alpha Centaurians have made Earth their bitch.

DAILY PHOTO: Egrets in Varkala

Taken on March 2, 2016 near Varkala

Taken on March 2, 2016 near Varkala

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I’m breaking a lifelong maxim (i.e. “Live life with no egrets.”) to bring you this post.

DAILY PHOTO: How’d You Like to be a Crocodile Dentist?

Taken on December 21, 2015 in the Mekong Delta

Taken on December 21, 2015 in the Mekong Delta

 

Being able to see the color of a crocodile’s tongue, but not the color of its eyes, isn’t comforting.

But could someone get in there and floss the green gunk out of this fella’s teeth.

DAILY PHOTO: Water Buffalo in Khajuraho

Taken in October of 2015 in Khajuraho

Taken in October of 2015 in Khajuraho

DAILY PHOTO: Regal Camel

Taken in Pushkar on November 28, 2015

Taken in Pushkar on November 28, 2015

 

We just missed Pushkar’s Camel Fair this year, but the evidence of it–from Ferris Wheels to vendors of swords and halters–abounded.

DAILY PHOTO: The Time I Didn’t Say, “Close your mouth; you look stupid.”

Taken in October of 2013 at Bannerghatta

Taken in October of 2013 at Bannerghatta

 

Ordinarily, when you see someone slack-jawed, they look like an idiot, but something about this guy allowed him to pull it off. Therefore, I gave him a break and did not chastise him for letting his mouth hang open like a moron. But next time…

DAILY PHOTO: A Bad Place to be a Guinea Pig

Taken in Arequipa, Peru in July of 2010

Taken in Arequipa, Peru in July of 2010

 

If you think this guy is eyeballing the camera suspiciously, it may be because it’s a resident of the Peruvian Andes. If you don’t know what I mean, check out this article from the National Geographic (particularly item #2.)

Anywhere else and he’d be someone’s fluffy little pet… or I guess a lab test animal–given the colloquial meaning of “Guinea Pig.” (So, maybe things could be worse than to be a Guinea Pig in Arequipa. One could be a Guinea Pig in the lab’s at Pfizer.)

DAILY PHOTO: Llama King of the Mountain

Taken in the summer of 2011 at Machu Picchu

Taken in the summer of 2011 at Machu Picchu

DAILY PHOTO: Loofah Time Elephant Style

Taken in May of 2015 at Millennium Elephant Foundation in Kegalle, Sri Lanka

Taken in May of 2015 at Millennium Elephant Foundation in Kegalle, Sri Lanka

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DAILY PHOTO: Bats

Taken in May of 2015 in Sri Lanka

Taken in May of 2015 in Sri Lanka

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