Dr. Seuss and AI Remind Us How to Treat Others
Hello Whimsical People,
I was revisiting some of my early experiments with AI-generated art when I stumbled upon a Dr. Seuss-inspired image. The whimsical style sparked my creativity, leading me to prompt AI to write the following poem about division and the power of listening.
In a world of division, there’s a lesson to find—
A tale about civil discourse, for heart and for mind.
The Tale of the Red Cat and Blue Cat
Once in a town, not too far from you,
Lived a Red Cat and a Blue Cat, too.
They shared the same street, they shared the same trees,
But their conversations? As cold as a breeze.
Red Cat liked bold, big ideas on display,
Blue Cat preferred things the cautious way.
When one said “go fast,” the other said “slow,”
And soon their debates began to snowball and grow.
“I’m right, you’re wrong!” the Red Cat would shout.
“You’ve got no clue what you’re talking about!”
The Blue Cat would hiss, “You’re loud and you’re blind!
Why don’t you use your supposed big mind?”
And so it went, day after day,
Their shouting grew louder, their words in dismay.
The town folks would sigh, “What a terrible spat!
What will become of those two stubborn cats?”
But one little kitten, with fur soft and gray,
Watched and then thought, “There must be a way.
What if they listened just once in a while?
What if they spoke with respect and a smile?”
So Gray Kitten gathered the Red and the Blue,
And said, “I have something important for you.
Let’s try a new game, a new kind of chatter,
Where listening and learning is all that will matter.”
At first, they just glared—Red narrowed his eyes,
And Blue crossed her paws in skeptical guise.
But Gray started talking with kindness and care,
And soon they both softened—at least, they were there.
“I see your point,” said the Red with a shrug.
“And I see yours, too,” said the Blue with a hug.
They shared their ideas, their hopes, and their fears,
And noticed their walls began to disappear.
The town started changing, inspired by the cats,
Who sat side by side for long, civil chats.
No longer did Red and Blue fight to be heard;
They built something stronger—a bridge made of words.
Now if you should visit that town far away,
You’ll find that their squabbles have faded away.
The Red Cat and Blue Cat, once rivals, now friends,
Show that listening and love are the best way to mend.
So remember their tale when discourse turns bitter,
When the voices get loud, and the patience grows thinner.
Take a breath, lend an ear, and give it a try,
For bridges aren’t built by the shouts in the sky.
This poem was written by AI using the following prompt: Help me write a poem about a red cat and blue cat that touches on civil discourse and the lack of and how we can change that. Write it in the style of Dr. Seuss.
The image was created by Midjourney using the following prompt: Imagine civil discourse as magnets that push people away and draw them together. Style of a minimalist poster by Dr. Seuss.
