People love babies for reasons

People love babies
and the reason we love 
babies is that finally 
here is someone 
I can feel superior to. 
In about every way 
but youth. Intellect, 
I can solve math 
problems. Baby 
thinks 1 + 1 =
FEET! Which 
is clever and quite
true, but falls far 
short of the applications 
possible. Strength! Size! 

I am a brute huge individual 
capable of throwing baby 
over a low wall with ease! 

I won't, of course. Huh huh 

huh, 

for I am merciful. Mercy 
is indicated upon the helpless, 
stupid and weak 

such as you, baby. 

We love to condescend and talk 
to baby in rich, syrupy goo goo tones, 
lording it over them, gloating 

in our almost unimaginable superiority
which baby is too stupid and naïve

to even imagine! Let alone understand. 

When we roll time forward to imagine 
"Ah, lord it while I can, kid! For you"  
(we pause for gravity)
"...will one day surpass me." Thoughtful
pause. We don't much like the sound
of that, but too much experience
confirms. We decide to embrace 
it as real. We feel the full flush
of magnanimity emanating from
being core, and our virtue becomes
a guilty pleasure. Yes, 

I, the big one!
I am the one who builds 
the world and paves the way
and shit. 

For you, little one.
I make it possible for you one day 

to surpass me, infant! And in so doing, 

I prove all the more truly 

my innate greatness. 

We love babies 

because 

they're kind of the only ones who 
still take shit like that at face value,
or anyway, act like it. None the wiser 

While we are at least some 
the wiser, 
we reckon. We can always depend
on babies! Babies make
a great and favorable comparison,
on all metrics but

youth. 

There, we're big enough to admit -
they have the edge