It’s the genes. Genes work like genes—
In lives per se, in a phage.
They do not live on their own,
But they script all of the homes.
Whales have genes, plants do, germs do.
No life lives does not need genes,
But in what sense do genes live?
The noun ‘life’ makes no sense, but
It’s much worse than that. A phage
May or may not fit the name
Life, but does the name life fit?
Does life live? Does does? Are we
Words lives as well as their names?
On the edge of self hang more
Selves, each with its own fringed edge.
We can no more live than we
Can dream, and yet we host dreams,
Show in dreams, score dreams, shift dreams.
Genes are not lives, but no lives
Skate out on the ice sans genes.
Here’s a game. Words work like games.
