I am proud that both my kids are writers—Noah has written a novel, and Casey writes poetry. Just before the 2020 election, Casey wrote a sestina during a school lunch break. (Writing a sestina is almost like solving a puzzle. You choose six key words—Casey’s are “civilized,” “hand,” “animal,” “claw,” “die,” and “kind.” These key words must be the final word of every line of each stanza, but in a set order, which varies from stanza to stanza. So you slot in your key words first and then write the poem around them. Sestinas can be in iambic pentameter, as this one is, but they don’t have to be.)
The poem reminds us that we humans are successful as a species because we are social animals; we cooperate, share what we know, and help each other out. Were we all to be isolated, selfish, and ruthless, we’d never make it. I thought this was an important message to think about on Election Day, when we are deciding what kind of leaders we want for our country, and Casey kindly allowed me to share the poem with you all.
Social Animals
Recall, we wanted to be civilized.
Lay down our blades, not brawl like animals,
extend our kindness, lend a guy a hand.
We proved we can; that’s why we haven’t died.
We wouldn’t last if we were never kind;
look at our nails, so blunt. There are no claws
to slay our enemies like animals,
to take so we may live, and they may die,
abandon weakness (you mean, being kind).
You say to kill is to be civilized,
when clearly that’s not true. Look at my hand
and point it out—where do you see my claws?
I will admit, too many people died
for want of food, by other humans’ hands,
but others fought to save them, tooth and claw—
no, not for glory, only to be kind.
We form pack bonds, we social animals.
Strengthen, don’t break them, to be civilized.
If anything, we are too soft and kind.
We buckle to the will of others’ hands
and let our supple minds be civilized.
But when the great blood-hungry tiger dies,
the zookeeper stays by the animal
and, weeping, holds the weakened monster’s claw.
You treat us like mere robots, animals.
Living by our king, the hour hand
that measures every moment ’till we die.
We only have mere minutes to be kind.
Yet you still smugly say, be civil, eyes
down, good beast, and thus we are declawed.
Why should a monster act so civilized?
Do you expect me not to raise a hand?
If you say so, I am an animal,
and like one, I will spit and howl and claw.
But not to see you hurt and bleed and die—
I only fight for my right to be kind.
How about you, readers? How are you a social animal? How have other people helped you, or how have you helped other people, in your own lives? Please share your thoughts in the comments, and, if you haven’t done so yet, please vote!
Sestinas are hard and this is a really good, affecting one. A lot hinges on the words you choose at the beginning. Very cool!
Clever use of imagery contrasting our blunt nails with sharp claws. (She wrote this during lunch?sheesh, humbling lol.)