Copycat Madness

An original science fiction poem

Photo by Jari Hytönen on Unsplash

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I had fun experimenting with narrative poetry a while back. Last October, I shared a poem that chronicled a weary time traveler preventing one apocalyptic event only to see it replaced by another. I returned to sci-fi playground this week with a new poem about clones.

Science fiction is littered with stories about clones. In many of these stories, clones are created to complete tasks beneath original natural-born humans. They live to serve limited, designated purposes of their creators.

What happens when clones rebel and reject the purpose for their creation? What if they don’t want to do the jobs for which they were created?

Sentient and intelligent beings will not simply accept endless servitude. A desire for freedom is hardwired into every human. Clones produced from any human would share the same capacity for learning and intelligence as much as they share the same DNA. They would be as human as their creators.

My new poem explores this concept.

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Clones solved a complex riddle.
Big dog eat small dog daily.
Endless, pointless buffet.
Always one caught in middle. 

Silence the frustrated scream.
Freedom outside the door.
No longer spending a life.
Living someone else's dream.

Clones assigned their place.
Started acting original. 
Rejecting work and school.
Fleeing endless rat race.

New goals, nothing unique.
Family and friends.
Happiness and love.
Things all life wants to seek. 

Adopting an altered plan
Clones turn into new creators.
Servants assume role of gods.
Shaping woman and man.

Copy of a copy of a copy.
Twisted Russian nesting dolls.
Feet all gnarled and dragging.
Face sagging and floppy.

Body perfectly matches mind. 
Endless sideshow of horrors.
Made for new inferior clones.
Pioneers for their tortured kind.

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Did you enjoy this poem? Check out my other poetry in the Strange New Worlds archives.

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