“Edward O. Wilson, Harvard naturalist often cited as heir to Darwin, dies at 92”
–The Washington Post

Born with a Stradivarius in hand,
Andy struggled to prove worthy of its wood

His head was often cocked to the side,
like a dog begging the Big Dipper for a treat

He was fascinated by much, for instance that during COVID
his watch would congratulate him for proper handwashing

His successes include the narrative of him as a 
crusader for justice, and many acts of kindness

He had five tattoos, such as Lady Liberty cradling a refugee
and other motifs that proved he had no fear of needles

Friends and colleagues disagree whether
he took himself too seriously, or not seriously enough

Andy claimed to be a poet, not to like music—was often
seen dancing to the folksong in 2,000-page federal legislation

To prove there is no God he once sliced a vein,
let the magma flow, remade a suburb in his image

The doctors diagnosed him bipolar,
which is to say he didn’t care much for small talk,

which is to say he could light up a room 
or drive a herd of buffalo to suicide

No one that met Andy ever forgot him,
though some fervently wished they could

He died after a battle with ennui, despair, and bliss; when
death came, he asked it to come back—said he was busy writing

Mr. Posner would not have wanted his life summarized in couplets…He
wanted a lot of things, got some of them, left others for you to lust after