LIVING ON
IN DEEDS, GENES OR IDEAS
You can live on — you can —
in what remains of your good deeds,
in what remains of your bad ones,
by deeds which are both good and bad,
by deeds which are neither.
As a human animal
you may pass your genes
to the next generation.
And your deed will be good
if it furthers the well-being of all
in a lasting equilibrium;
will be bad, for the body so crudely,
if it goes beyond the bounds of nature.
But the extent to which you live on
in this way
will be halved at each new generation,
for a century,
for a millennium,
and to that degree
(nearly) ad infinitum.
As a human person
you may pass your ideas
to the next generation.
And your deed will be good
if it furthers truth and relevance,
with respect for other people;
will be bad, for the mind so subtly,
if it goes beyond the bounds of reason.
And the extent to which you live on
in this way
may double at each new generation,
for a century,
perhaps a millennium,
but to that degree
not ad infinitum.
Vinsent Nandi
70.LSW
