They say we’ll build a better mouse;

No slapdash job of fur and teeth

For us and our new earth; instead

Review boards, engineers, involved

In poring over every pore

And counting every hair and nerve

And sorting every tiny bone

Will draw up blueprints for its life

As never has been done before.

New sleek things; well designed, they say,

No clumsy God-wrought rodents these.

And once we’ve built a better mouse

And patted ourselves on our backs

And studied up a little more

We’ll build a better human next.