Pueblo
An Ode To Indigenous Allomothers
Too many a battered mile
A lonesome rider rode
Stopping a weary while
Pueblo, hamlet’s abode
Crisp is the morning air
Dawn by a splendid sol
Bluffs, vistas, what a pair!
Afar she saw, not a soul
Rest and bathe in saloon
Ale to quench her thirst
As it neighed for water soon
Her trusty steed came first!
Enchanted, the blessed land
Juniper, spruce, and fir
Trails snake a valley grand
Paths got etched in her
Pueblo is but a hamlet
Nurturing pilgrims tired
Allomother, our planet
Mother of all she birthed
Fiery bellies of stars blasted
Shaped her humble entry
Our lonely abode has lasted
Allomother been our sentry
— VK
The question is this — “Is man an ape or an angel?” My lord, I am on the side of the angels. I repudiate with indignation and abhorrence the contrary view, which is, I believe, contrary to the conscience of mankind — Lord Benjamin Disraeli, 1864
Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution — Theodosius Dobzhansky, 1973
Benjamin Disraeli was quite unsettled by Darwin’s radical ideas in 1864. Since then, we have come quite far. We are no mere great apes, but not special either. We just happened to have won the evolutionary lottery. We now have the power to circumvent evolution by editing, snipping, or altering the genetic sequence. Along the way, we have acquired astonishing insights into our past by donning the evolutionary lens that Mr. Dobzhansky so clearly alluded to — especially in the fields of evolutionary psychology and neuroscience.
Since antiquity, there has been a gradual evolution of the natural order. We were one among numerous social primate groups nurtured by matriarchs. Gestures, primitive tools, imitation, and vocalization may have catalyzed structural reorganization in primate brains to evolve language for transmitting knowledge across generations, eventually culminating in modern society. We have taken these ideas to a whole another level with complex social structures of extended families, daycare, and the newest kid on the block — social media!
Alloparenting is non-maternal infant care — a social behavior observed in vervets, Cebus monkeys, squirrel monkeys, macaques, and, yes, some great apes, including humans! Alloparenting was commonplace for most of human history — a prequel to significant social developments. Its sphere of influence included grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and neighbors caring for the infant.
Aboriginals and indigenous cultures untouched by modern civilization still embrace this way of life, blending, adapting, and fostering a strong social fabric that knits these communities into a cohesive group. This poem is an ode to the indigenous peoples across the globe.
Metaphorically, our earth and any other hospitable planet can become an alloparent to humans, if we can get past our parochial instincts and provincial beliefs harmful to our existence. We may embark on colonizing other planets someday. But for now, we have this beautiful pueblo that birthed all the beauty and glory we can’t soak in even if we had several lifetimes!
Thanks for Reading and your support. Inspired by S&S Prompt series and in response to #SnSPrompt: Science related to “cooperative breeding hypothesis” or simply a story about “allomothers”. Thanks R. Rangan PhD for kick-starting stories about alloparents.
References
- The Neurobiological Causes And Effects of Alloparenting — William M. Kenkel, Allison M. Perkeybile, C. Sue Carter, 2016
- The co-evolution of language and emotions — Eva Jablonka, Simona Ginsburg, Daniel Dor, 2012
- Meet The Alloparents — Prof. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
- Mothers and Others — Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, 2011
©️ Dr. VK, 2021. All Rights Reserved.
