The Logic of Survival

In order to preserve his way of life
Odysseus threaded the necks
of twenty faithless servant girls
and hung them in his courtyard
above the slick blood of their
newly slain lovers. His wife
was true but his dog was gone
and that was already too much.

Charged to preserve his race
Aeneas trod heavily over
the Aegean. "I will not let this
change who I am." But it did.
The passive lover turned bloodthirsty
killer as soon as he set foot
on the right plot of land.
With age and experience
he had learned the essential:
when time is running out
it's best to ignore your conscience.

It is easy to leave scorched earth
in your wake if you don't look back.
There must be no change or loss.
And therefore preemptive death
to all who might destroy us. It's a
mistake, for we know that those who
cheat fate will meet their fathers
at the crossroads and walk
away with blood-stained hands,
mad for power, cursing God
and blaming the crime on some
petty criminal's sad bid for survival.

Subscriber Login

User Name

Password

Subscribe Now!

The only way to read this article and the full contents of each week's issue of The Nation online is by subscribing to the magazine. Subscribe now and read this article -- and every article published since for the past five years -- right now.

There's no obligation -- try The Nation for four weeks free.

• Get The Nation at home (and online!) for 68 cents a week!
• If you like this article, consider making a donation to The Nation.
• Reprint this article. Click here for rights and information.