Dna - Un-Zipping Poem by Sidi Mahtrow

I

Darwin thought when he wrote 'The Descent of Man'
He would be describing the Maker's plan*.
How little did he know
What science had in stow.

Residing in all cells large and small
And creatures short and tall
Is a bit of chemistry that reveals
Inner secrets of errors and thrills.
There for all (well at least the biochemist) to see
Is the genetic code for you and me.

As DNA comes unfolded
Some parts may best be left undiscloseded
Shortcomings of battles lost, not won
Are divulged to the enquiring one.
How best to deal with each new known fact
Depends on how one may choose to act.
Do we want to be so blessed
With Genetic Errors that aren't suppressed?
Providing drugs to save the day
Only delays when the reaper's axe comes into play.
Maybe it's better to let the weak and ill-designed
Peacefully go into decline.

II

Some organisms need not a mate for propagation
To produce a new venture in population expansion.
That's all well and good; and they are capable
As their genetics are eons stable.
Diploids by a conservative bend
Will be with us to the end,
Having little stimulus, or ideas new,
There will be improvements, few.

While Diploids seldom challenge nature's laws.
Haploids shuffle and combine to advance the cause
Producing life anew
Although some will suffer; in fact quite a few.
But that's how God (nature if you prefer) intended
As the faulty genomes are ended.
But when improvement is the goal of procreation
Random-choice yields results of major proportion.

So, Haploids unzip your DNA and let her rip
It's a species sustaining, hedonistic trip.