“Crabs in a bucket.”
Anthropomorphized with ill intent,
they pull one another down
such that none escapes
ahead of another.
People in boxes.
We stereotype and generalize,
avoiding the rigors of thoughtful discernment.
Outside of buckets, crabs cooperate.
Without boxes, how might people be?
What Rhymes with Stanza? 
An eloquent and thought-provoking meditation on human nature via the humble crab. Thanks for sharing, Maggie!
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Thank you!
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You give a potent example and pose a thoughtful question. Does perception make us who we are? I like how you used the prompt word for your philosophical poem.
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Thank you, and thanks for the prompt!
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You’re welcome!
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Ooooh! A thinking poem! I love this idea, Maggie… although I wonder if there’s anything that could ever make human beings cooperate with one another across the world…
Sincerely,
David
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One box at a time…
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… I guess so…
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Food for thought! Though honestly I am not too hopeful.
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It’s hard to be hopeful these days, I agree.
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Which is such a sad thing…
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And so I turn to nature. I have yet to see a critter-made box.
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If it were not for nature and the critters we would all go crazy. You do a wise thing.
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I’ve been around long enough to deduce: regardless of any potential outcome, (positive or negative) humans ain’t gettin’ out of their box for nobody. And so, behold the inevitable end of the world.
Loved your Quad. Thanks
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End of humanity, perhaps, but I’m still rooting for the planet. Including the crabs. Thanks, Ron.
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This is incredibly potent!
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Thank you. I was surprised by the hopeless tone of multiple comments. It seems I struck a chord.
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