Don’t cut the cord before the blood drains,
Don’t release the arrow until you want to send-
The devil always lives in the tiniest details,
So don’t forget the drawbridge if you must defend.
Don’t leave behind the matches on the expedition,
Don’t drink the water where dead lay on the ground-
Such a tiny hairsbreadth divides dying and living,
Where danger, folly, and their offspring do abound.
Life favors victors, and leaves stragglers to their portion,
So don’t neglect your options; don’t dawdle in the chase-
If you want to stay alive to pass your own genes on,
Don’t ever stake your life on heavenly grace.
Patti Masterman
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/beware-the-darwin-awards/
