Andrew Dawson: Man Vs. Beast
“What is the difference between man and beast? Man differs from the animal by the fact that he is a killer; he is the only primate that kills and tortures members of his own species without any reason, either biological or economic, and who feels satisfaction in doing so. It is this biologically non-adaptive and non-phylogenetically programmed “malignant” aggression that constitutes the real problem and the danger to man’s existence as a species.” – Michael Tsarion
I have travelled to many places – seen many things,
Climbed many mountains,
Seen amazing beauty,
So I sit here and watch with a close eye.
Amongst the wilderness, I see life as it was meant to be,
Raw, quiet and in many ways – mysterious.
The animals look at me from a distance.
When I make just the slightest move – they race.
Surrounded by many colors,
I get lost in my own wonder,
I feel as if I am the only one amongst these creatures,
But I am alone – I am very different than the rest.
With the taste of iron in the air,
I look down at my hands to see that they are covered in blood.
Is this the blood of my fellow brother? Mother?
The blood of a fellow being sharing this world with me?
Is this my own blood?
The eyes of the animal look at me with suspicion,
Like they know something is wrong with me.
They see this blood – they see what I have done.
They see this blood – they know what I am capable of.
How is it that a crow can stand on a donkey’s back,
And yet, I cannot get anywhere close to the crow?
Does the crow not sense danger with his fellow animals?
Or is it that, he senses me – my humanism?
Can he sense my thirst for destructiveness?
Does he know that I have murdered, raped, pillaged my own?
Does he know that I’m capable of wiping out all that lives in this place?
Does he know that I’m spirituality bankrupt – psychologically primitive?
Does he know that I know nothing about nature and about the place my eyes see?
Does he know more than me?
Then I begin to question – do I know anything of nature?
Do I truly know anything about myself?
About where I’m going – what I’m truly here to do?
All I know is build useless things – murder others
And destroy everything that my home is made of.
What if what I had to do – was to stand in front of my biggest fear?
To approach it – not to be in the eyes of others,
Not to be a hero – a savior,
But to experience overcoming – taking control of what most men shy away from?
Is it in the heart of each being to run away from himself?
Or is it deep down inside that he – at the core of his being,
To inherently want to wash the blood from his hands everlastingly?
To be what he was always meant to be: himself?
To be at one with nature?
For crow to trust man and man to trust crow?
You may not see the mask you wear, but the crow does.
Its time to lay it on the ground
For you are more beautiful this way.
vixenate 