Shark and Cockroach
by Elder James Olson

Consider them, consider them
—The one
Streaking through ocean glooms,
Torpedo-swift,
Forever restless,
Swimming ceaselessly,
Enormous maw
—Teeth triple-tiered, razor-sharp—
Gaping, gaping,
Avid to devour
Fish, flesh, and fellow,
Bits of chain, old tires,
Anything, anything;
The other
Scuttling in darkness,
Ravenous for refuse,
Wallpaper, paint flakes, filth,
Glue, sawdust, wood chips,
Anything, anything;

Consider them:
Both insatiably voracious,
Forms old, almost, as Life;
So quickly perfected,
Since, hardly changed
(Their Maker satisfied);
There you have it—
A glimpse of the Great Design
As so far fulfilled,
And yes, your place in it;
The Cosmic Blueprint:
Mindless appetite,
Predator, scavenger;
All the rest,
Mere food.