Saturday, March 20, 2010

A Deep Thought (or series of them) from Iguazu

I got up early to explore the Argentine side of Iguazu falls. There's a lot to see and I wanted to do it all in one day. I started out with a little hike (actually more of a walk--the difference I've determined is due to presence of a pack or frequent bending of the knees more than 40 degrees or so) along a jungle trail. Couldn't count the number of spiders I saw. They seem to like building their webs right above the path. Almost every time I looked up to the tree tops I could see a spider somewhere. Great monstrous beasts, they were. Made me uneasy every time I felt a cobweb on my face because I was afraid I might be walking into one.

The trail leads to a waterfall where it splits, giving the traveler the option of hiking to the top or the base of a waterfall.  The long walk/hike gave time for my thoughts to wander and as I walked, I considered reincarnation (not that I considered reincarnating, but that I pondered the philosophy). As I stopped to look at another fantastic specimen of a spider above me, my strange little brain produced the following from the juxtaposition of my thoughts--It's what I consider a proof for the argument that spiders could be men reincarnate:


At morning's break I did awake, to walk through jungle heat
a path not trod by those abroad, yet one with joys replete.
With heightened sense through flora dense my curious feet did roam,
when I stopped cold to there behold a spider in her home.
So still was she, unphased by me, but conscious all the same,
in ready stance should circumstance to her deliver game.

'Spider' said I, 'how hard you try, you unfortunate beast',
'you spin away then wait all day, arrival of your feast.'
I dared to muse, silence abuse, to laugh at her despair
when, though absurd, I thought I heard this query from the air,
"Oh human wise, of logic prized, please tell me if you can,
what difference great does separate the spider from the man?"

Caught unawares, into the air, I lifted my gaze high,
attention won, she carried on, and this was her reply.
"Some time ago my web did go along the waterline,
where sat a man, his pole in hand, for oh so long a time.
He casts his line as I cast mine, each in our separate way,
and we both wait, 'til carries fate into our hands some prey."

'I must contest!' I did protest, my species to defend,
'The fisherman, he hunts for fun, and this is key my friend!
My race is best, Darwin attest, we now are civilized,
in in moral code, in heart and soul, our intellect is prized.'
Then did I see, what looked like glee, a smile on the face,
of that insect who would reject the grandeur of my race.

"A noble try," came her reply, "but it's not hard to show,
despite your claim, we're still the same, and I shall prove it so.
You can't deny the reason why your hunter casts his line,
know this my friend, that at day's end, it is the same as mine.
The reason real I will reveal, for his line and my house
has to do, with food, not true!, but for fleeing the spouse!





Yup, there's a look into my bizarre little head. Now you know what happens when you spend too much time traveling alone :)

No comments:

Post a Comment