Tarzanelle
When I was a child, I read as a child,
Imagined the world from a different place.
I thought about people, events that were wild,
But not quite so much about time, about space.
I loved to read books by Edgar Rice Burroughs,
But never considered his view about race.
See, Greystoke, as Tarzan, ruled my brain furrows;
I had no real context for things black and white.
But as I grew older, my views of him narrowed,
For much of the stories just didn’t seem right.
They say what we read has an impact; it shapes us.
I guess I see that in a different light.
Big issues like race are not brought into focus;
A kid reads for content, excitement, and pace.
With age, some reflection can highlight the locus,
Identify faults through a careful retrace.
A fall from sublime to primordial slime,
Where Tarzan once stood, now there’s just empty space;
For that sort of story, I haven't the time.
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