Upon the Place Beneath

Some phages are more merciful,

Writes the science writer, firmly

Tongue-in-cheek, presumably not

Aware of his tetrameter.

A scholar of mercy, such as

Steven Connor, might well observe

That mercy implies the righteous

Prerogative of punishment,

The power and authority

To punish or be merciful.

Thus, while mercy may be given,

Mercy can’t, by definition,

Be deserved. Consider the phage

Now, viral magisterium,

Not even a living being

By some other definitions,

Administrator of mercies

And suffering to the lowly

Mass of most life on this planet,

The ancient and humble order

Of seething metabolism,

Bacteria. What great virus,

In its infinite mercy, spares

Grossly swollen bacteria,

Letting them go on with their lives,

Perhaps even bestowing genes

Taken from other living things

That may help these undeserving

Prokaryotes carry on, thrive?

O most merciful consumer

Of lives, phage created by life,

Virus that is not quite alive,

Forgive us our hungers as we

Forgive your hungers borne in us.