Do Chimeras Have Souls?
Could a woman and a male ape
produce a chimera of some kind
as the consequence of a rape,
and should the woman be resigned?
Resigned to nurture her offspring;
even if it should seem to her grotesque?
Could she learn to love such a thing
without a feeling of wretchedness?
Could a man treat such a step son
with respect and proper dignity?
I suppose what might have been done
is dispose of it secretly.
Could chimeras be better than
either an ape or a woman?

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Perhaps playing god might be fun
and it has already been done;
hybrid fruits and other food
have often turned out to be good.
Love and loyalty of a dog
might make an improved kind of hog.
If we could make us humans fly
and birds who think; we ought to try.
Being gods might not be too bad;
perhaps better than some we’ve had.
After all our gods are man made
and think of the roles they have played.
Our ethics are all man made too.
Being god might be good for you.

Walt Abbott–7-22-08