This is a pastiche of three of Shakespeare's sonnets (10, 18, 55). I've taken a few liberties with some of the repetends and his lines, but this is fairly close to the lines of his I've chosen.
The Genetic Engineer Reflects
I am shamed by that which I bring forth.
Make thee another self, for love of me,
for you, in living, bear things nothing worth
That wonder which shall perish from the earth.
Though beauty still may live in thine or thee,
I am shamed by that which I bring forth.
Chill winds do blow from out the barren north
and freeze all earth with monstrous poverty.
And so do you, who bear things nothing worth.
For in your mirrored you, some phantom stirreth
the waning codes of your true memory
and shames me by what you and I bring forth,
So even Satan, seeing it, abhorreth
the fruits of his own ancient devilry.
And so should you, to bear things nothing worth.
In all for whom or what I foster birth,
let there be naught of thee and less of me,
for I am shamed by that which I bring forth
and so should you, to bear things nothing worth.
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