Genisis

[font=&quot]GENISIS[/font]
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[font=&quot]Life on Earth[/font]
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[font=&quot]Four Billion Years before the Present![/font]
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Four billion years ago,
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on a hostile planet,
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circling a rather garden variety star,
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in the edge of an unspectacular galaxy,
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in a remote part of the universe,
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something
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wonderful
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happened!
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Four lifeless chemicals:
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adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine
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began forming small sticky strands of chemicals,
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strands of chemicals with a very peculiar property
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they replicated.
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There in that primordial ocean stew
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the fundamental unit of life on earth appeared,
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the primal gene.
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The race of evolution was on!
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Over vast stretches of time,
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the fundamental selective pressures;
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copying fidelity,
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fecundity,
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longevity,
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eventually gave rise to organisms
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with primitive nervous systems.
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Four thousand million years of merciless selection,
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on those primitive ancestors of our genes,
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has given rise to the most amazing phenomenon in the known universe,
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homo-sapiens sapient,
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an organized system of elements,
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elements birthed by the death of ancient stars,
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had become aware of it's independent existence.
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Somewhere,
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in the dim beginnings,
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of the short recorded history
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of these organized systems of star stuff.
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A question
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the fundamental question
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rose to the lips of men,
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Why?
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Why are there things that are,
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rather than no things?


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The quest for truth and meaning was born.
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From among the ranks of men
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created by the random assortment
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of 23 pairs of small sticky strands of chemicals,
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arose adventurers to take up the quest.
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Men and women with burning questions in their minds.
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How can we know?
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Know for certain?
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if truth can be known,
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ought
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not
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truth
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be the basis for all we do?
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Driven by the fires of question and doubt,
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and a seemingly unquenchable thirst for certainty,
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such of the race of men,
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are called by men
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philosophers and scientists.
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The Veteran Cosmic Rocker
circa 1987
aka Anathema
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aka Epiphelion
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aka The First Knight of the EverQuest
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What an epic poem! I really like that you explored the beginning of life in your poem. Very unique.

Peace and love

 

yeah, good one man. Just thinking of what history we've recorded in the last few thousand years, all the events and occurances, inventions, great men and women, empires, disasters... think about that, then think about FOUR BILLION YEARS of it. Absolutely mind blowing. And we, the living, are the leading edge of that unfathomable wave of history. Wow.

 

Brilliant! Superb! Applauds!