The Methodical Study of Sensory Thresholds

Most decisions make themselves.
Wordy thoughts are afterthoughts.
Languages were never meant

To decide your behaviors,
No more than window-dressing
Decides what’s inside the store.

Language was for signaling,
Not driving. Invest in me.
Don’t mess with me. Fear my group.

Think how much your group needs me.
Ok, fine. We resemble
Some repurposed parts of life—

Fins turned to feet turned to wings
Turned to flippers for swimming.
When you muse on what to do,

Think of all your reasoned thoughts
As penguins trekking inland,
Gaining a little balance,

At most, from feathered forelimbs
That steered them like torpedoes
When fishing in the deep,

Awkward afterthoughts in air.
You’re already on the ice.
Try not to stumble so much.