Warrior Ethic

Out in the bushveld one evening
i surprised a troop of baboon
settling for sleep up in a baobab

i thought i'd play a practical joke
on our primate cousins
i walked beneath their roost
and fired my rifle into the air

the explosion caused instant panic
flight reflex chemistry converted their stools to water
they lost immediate control of their bladders and sphincter muscles
unloading the extra weight of piss and shit
and drenching me in foul-smelling urine and diarrhea

the joke was on me
literally

out of that experience
evolved an entirely novel revelation
on how and why
the human primate
in order to evolve beyond a baboon
was forced to learn
how to hold his piss
keep a tight arse
and become a trusted soldier
able to keep his honor
in the face of extreme danger
even sacrifice his own life
to save a stranger

training began at puberty
in Bronze Age circumcision lodges
when for 600 generations
boys were trained to face the lion
that preyed on our herds
armed with nothing more than a spear
and not panic in the moment of truth

an unchallenged pride
would kill a domestic cow every three days
without flocks and herds
we would still be dirt farmers to this day

without courage
love between man and god
would be left without psalms of praise

love between men and women
would never have gone beyond the sex chakra
and no songs of love would have been sung

the road to the heart
must pass through the portal of courage
i is only the warrior spirit
in man and woman
who treads that path