'The Neonate' by David Blumenfeld

Behold the tiny neonate

who cannot even masticate

or even once excogitate

but only urinate and defecate

regurgitate, evacuate

palpitate and exudate

eructate and flatulate

expectorate and micturate

assimilate and crepitate

and once again eliminate

yet despite this alimentary fate,

her parents ever coo and prate

and somehow love her anyway.

Copyright. David Blumenfeld.

David Blumenfeld, professor emeritus of philosophy, has taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Illinois at Chicago; Southwestern University; and Georgia State, where he was chair of philosophy and associate dean for the humanities. His 2021 publications (some under the pen name, Dean Flowerfield) are in Best New True Crime Stories: Well-Mannered Crooks, Rogues & Criminals;Mono; Beyond Words;Balloons Lit. Journal;The Caterpillar; and (forthcoming 2022) Carmina.