Bacteria

Bacteria

Only really come to prominence

When they cause problems.

When sitting

In the background,

commensals

One amongst

a trillion;

Flora within the fauna,

Most of us can ignore their existence.

The shape, colour, size or prettiness

of these

Infinitely

Complex

Organisms

Goes un-noticed.

The wallflowers of miniature.

But…

When,

or if

Things change,

Perhaps a moment

of mutant madness

And benign

Becomes aggressive

Hold on!

This, then, is when the white blood cells are summoned.

‘Hey guys, we have some trouble-makers, down in the gut, go and sort them out!’

Says the spleen or marrow or lymphatics;

A forward force of neutrophils and macrophages

Rush ahead.

If able to neutralise the new guys

all is well

We revert to

Social norms,

Continue as before

Even

If, before

Was fractured.

‘those guys aren’t for giving-in

nor,

giving-up,

They are determined to change the landscape’

Attack!

Send the forces

of our immunity,

to the upstarts!

You try to change

this

or

that

& your considered

Circumlocution,

Inversion,

Transversion.

No

No

No.

Here,

Orthodoxy

Is what goes;

The tradition that has failed us is the tradition that we want.

Nothing else will do.

Better to fail in a failed system than to undertake an experiment with the same outcome.

You!

Get back in line!

Boy!

Yeled!

Walad!

I, we, can diminish you.

I appreciate you’re already only a couple of microns,

but,

With my manipulation,

my,

machination

I can make ye smaller;

Miniscule.

Progress can’t be halted.

Quetzalcoatl

They call me,

Minimus.

I try to build myself up, try my best to reach a point where all things are equal,

inter pares

But

No,

Non.

Nana.

Niet.

Extinguished,

the final carrier pigeon.

That was an occasion to celebrate.

Progress.