Whales, Horses, Bats, and Apes

Could be constellations,
Instead of dim-witted
Mammals who think themselves

Clever in their social
Intelligence. Speaking
Of big-brained social beasts

And the constellations,
When did the bipeds start
Shooting names at the stars?

It’s not a transition
That gets much attention,
Not like tools, fire, symbols.

Whales don’t sing to the stars.
Bats don’t steer flights by them.
Horses, most of the apes—

All smart as mammals go—
Appear to ignore them.
But some protohuman,

Some early fool, or set
Of them, knit names for them.
The first constellation

Had to be a story
With words already known.
Disagreements followed.

Disagreements always
Follow storytelling.
Why not make up your own?

You must know some stories
Others tell and have told.
You don’t want to make stars

With new stories. You want
To show off what you know
Of what known show-offs know.