A Model Poem

by I. Rothchild, Science Vol. 289, p872, 2000)

What have you got, a theory?

Hypothesis? A strategy?

A peachy-keen analogy?

Rest your brain

With a quiet coddle,

Join the crowd and call it a MODEL!

Do you itch to tell your latest scheme,

Hunch, proposal, process theme,

Idea that boosts your self-esteem,

And your brain can’t sprint

But only waddle?

Join the crowd and call it a MODEL!

What’s the word, a preparation?

Notion? Plan? Sketch? Creation?

Diagram? An explanation?

But if your brain can only

Crawl or toddle,

Join the crowd and just use MODEL!

Is “Design of an Experiment”

The essence of your mind’s intent?

Words like those don’t pay the rent!

Why strain the brain

For more than twaddle?

Join the crowd and just use MODEL!

Protocol? System? Prototype?

The word that’s got the mostest hype

To push a thought that’s barely ripe?

Don’t sweat your

Cliché-loaded noddle!

Join the crowd and just use MODEL!

O, Muse of Science! Muse of each

Kind of lucid, sparkling speech!

How far do you think

This prayer will reach?

Bless’d be the day

When even a clod’ll

Use his brain instead of MODEL!