Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Mag #143, "Innate"

We were lucky to see this at the North Carolina Zoo on 12-11-2012
Innate

Blood soaked leaves
beneath darkened, bent trees,
red upon green: drip, drip, drip.

Aggression, terror,
alpha dominance,
Has it always been?

Will it always be?
Exhausted combatants
limping homeward

while mothers
cradle sweet babes,
softly breathing
peace and love.

by Margaret Bednar, 12-11-2012 

This is for Magpie Tales #143.   The original photo prompt for this week is below.  It is a painting by Felix Vallotton depicting WWI - The Battle of Verdun

Red Colobus monkeys are the chimpanzees favorite prey.   Jane Goodall observed and reported wild chimpanzees hunting and eating meat and skeptics were critical of her findings at first.

Verdun, 1917 by Felix Vallotton
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16 comments:

  1. Sherry Blue SkyNovember 12, 2012 at 12:13 AM

    Oh I so love the photo, and your words about the mother chimpanzees cradling their babes....like human mothers, never dreaming one day they may lose them to war.

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  2. Ginnie HartNovember 12, 2012 at 4:08 AM

    Since you posted this on Veteran's Day, Margaret, you've reminded me of why there need to be more women in levels of leadership. There would be more negotiation and less war, for sure!

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  3. Amrit SinhaNovember 12, 2012 at 4:28 AM

    You have done a beautiful interpretation of the image prompt !!!

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  4. Mr. CharlestonNovember 12, 2012 at 7:04 AM

    Einstein was right. Matter is finite. In order for something to live, something else must die.

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  5. DaydreamertooNovember 12, 2012 at 7:47 AM

    I've seen that about chimps hunting other smaller ones for food. I guess it's always been in our DNA, maybe it's always meant to be this way and we are waking up to the fact that we don't like it?
    Brilliant imagery, haunting. Great poem :)

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  6. izzyNovember 12, 2012 at 7:56 AM

    Heaven- yes I remember being surprised that Chimps ate meat.But
    then if it were because 'opportunity'
    provided it...I suppose it is just as likely they threw sticks and stones
    and in anger, even vengeance ate meat-Interesting take!

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  7. Laurie KolpNovember 12, 2012 at 10:32 AM

    This is great, Margaret... I especially like the first and last stanzas.

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  8. HelenNovember 12, 2012 at 12:46 PM

    Almost clapped my hands in glee when I saw the image in your post! (I begged for a chimp when I was a kid)
    Your poem is overwhelming ...

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  9. ninotazizNovember 12, 2012 at 12:47 PM

    Can we become more than our DNA? Of course we can.

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  10. MargaretNovember 12, 2012 at 4:05 PM

    I'm counting on that, Ninotaziz! I could watch the chimps interact for hours. Hauntingly similar to humans

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  11. Susan AndersonNovember 12, 2012 at 6:14 PM

    Really poignant. And let's hope we keep evolving.

    "/

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  12. Other MaryNovember 12, 2012 at 10:39 PM

    Very disturbing and very good. It makes me think of Lord of the Flies... I hated that book, but I love your poem.

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  13. Dave KingNovember 13, 2012 at 7:00 AM

    I would be surprised to learn that our shared DNA had nothing to do with it. A tellingly angled approach. Very refreshingly done.

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  14. les peintures de VivianeNovember 13, 2012 at 2:39 PM

    I don't understand all the nuances of English language but your composition, is beautiful. I love F. VALLOTON and I did not know this painting, It's beautiful. Verdun: a great battle of the first World War, when my grandfather was wounded in the trenches he was forever changed and told us sometimes .... And opposite, the love of chimpanzee: they give us lessons we humans?

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  15. HelenaNovember 13, 2012 at 3:20 PM

    Beautifully incorporated!

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  16. hyperCRYPTICalNovember 17, 2012 at 1:23 AM

    Excellent words and I fear it will always be this way...

    Anna :o]

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