Chimps

Lost Animal


On a long busy noisy urban road,

Power lines and signs. A level railway crossing,

An iron fence. People pass it, intently oblivious.

Someone had been stuck in a room with a chimpanzee.

But walking past, he stops at the iron fence.

On the other side of its bars stands a man

In thick optical lenses and a white coat

On the lawn at the front of a big block-and-plaster building,

Red tile roof, bars on the windows, steps before the door.

“Hey,” says the man, “Give us a beer.”

Is this an example of a scientist’s burnout, this question

Posed to a stranger through the bars?

“I have a problem with a chimpanzee,” the passer-by replied.

A long stare from the man in optical lenses and white coat.

Then, “No you haven’t. Unless you think you are a chimpanzee.”

“No-one has helped me with it,” said the passer-by.

The scientist flinched. His blank expression changed

To one showing determination and judgement.

He picked a key from a pocket and opened the iron gate

In the fence. He pulled the passer-by in by the sleeve to

The compound. Then he faced him and said,

“Your problem is that you think you are a chimpanzee.”

Then he committed him.

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Dove Grey
Dove Grey

I'm an author.


One step forward, two steps back.
One step forward, two steps back.

We can say by metaphysics that our lives are planned and predictable, though seeing the events and situations in our lives in the reality of what they are ontologically there is no interpretation of them that implies greater meaning. From a nihilistic point of view we do not have any lives and there is no meaning. So this is about my views on life.

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