Evolutionary?

Evolutionary?

The 'caveman' cliche
rocked into oblivion
by beings we now know
were so much more than animals,
that Neanderthals had civilization,
had society--families, love, superstitions,
and their personal history.
Exploring caves now,
In what was then
their homes, mystic places, or burial sites.
Drawings etched, carved, or painted
of their world confound me,
make me feel small
in the overwhelming space
of time and evolution--
the wonder of fifty thousand years
and the certainty that we
might not be so far removed
as one might think.