Are we not human? Contributor Jon Curley considers the poems of Rebecca Frank Morgan, who posits that our bodies and souls have long been robotized. In “The Mechanical Eves,” she recasts the patriarchal origin story: “Oh, man has made her in his own image / for beauty and service, oh man has / made her, a more pliable Eve / with no desire of her own.”

It’s certainly true that too often we behave as if we are the only sentient being in the room surrounded by instruments at our disposal. This self-regarding revision of Hobbes–who viewed all humans as cause-and-effect machines–reduces others and elevates ourselves. It also conveniently insulates us from their pain.

We aren’t machines; we aren’t ghosts either. We sweat, breathe, make love, and make art. Even at a moment when our brains have been replaced by screens and touch is forbidden, we should allow ourselves something very human–to feel awful about the hurt that’s all around us.