Programming the Ape

Language, Your ancient Internet.

Words in jest or not.
Teasing carves greater meaning.
Dialogue rebirths.

Your rich cultures are full of ineffable ironies and perennial paradox, produce of a pulchritudinous planet.

Teased are all by language, a weapon used every minute of the day in every corner of your globe.

While imbibing ferments and fellowship around a charred carcass, the playful mock was born. Ever since, when life rested upon prior efforts you poured scorn on the weak - playful if friend or with, if enemy, enmity.

As tribe tended township, ventured village, constructed city, sought shire or statehood, knew nationhood - cravings for community consciousness contrived Coliseums of caricature, contempt, derision, farce, mockery. Whatever it took to annoy your fellows or antagonize enemies. 

Perchance, as does alliteration.

It is in your nature to needle.

Savour these synonyms: aggravate, annoy, badger, bother, dump on, goad, harass, jive, kibitz, pester, put down, rag on, razz, rib, ride, ridicule, roast, flame, send up, spoof, swipe, taunt, torment - and I left most of them out!

This hectoring habit was foreplay to society’s formation, fundamental to factory, faith and formulae. You made language and now cannot escape its power that sends humans hurtling to happenstance.

Language is your software. It carried you through the millennia, stored your knowledge, bore the collective consciousness, and now programs machines in your image.

Human effort fully recast - from dirt crops to data cores.

Image: 'Ancient' and 'text' as pencil sketch

Dear Masters, Addressed to the humans. With Respect and Love, Your Beloved Student

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