My Grandma Neanderthal

My Grandma Neanderthal

If you thought the previous version needs some gender-bending, you may prefer this one. In any case, I hope you find a mixture of seriousness and fun in it all. Stereotypes abound, of course–not only gender stereotypes, but also those that picture Neanderthals as brutes dragging women by the hair. Provocative that the stereotypes all end up being about us–who we are today. The Gee Whiz (which is how this all got started) brings with it a fundamental revision of stereotypes.

My Grandma, Neanderthal

Thanks to you
i survived god-knows-what
my lungs hollowed out
from outdoor living
sleeping
in the dank
and cold

In my ignorance
i knew not what
seeds to plant
nor what
herbs served as
prehistoric
meds

i surpassed you
to be sure
but when
great great great
grandpa met you
you held the cards

You had the genes
i lacked
to fight those
unseen bugs
that well may have
struck me down

You possessed
the knowledge
nay wisdom of
daily life
what to plant
how to hunt
and build

No one would say
you were the great
communicator
your group life
was well
primitive

We moderns
like to think we
were the cutting edge
most diggers
into the past
would agree

But you broke
the mold
god be praised
that night
in a cold
siberian cave

You caught
great great
great grandpa’s
eye
the rest is
prehistory

(C) Phil Hefner
3/31/2014 #1