Crying Out for Further Study

[deckardcanine]

While only one animal’s known to shed tears
In response to a glut of emotion,
Few scientists study the reason, and they
To this day can’t agree on a notion.

It’s long been assumed to be good for one’s health
As a physical detox of sorts—
With almost no evidence showing in more
Than a century’s worth of reports.

When subjects in labs watch a tearjerker movie,
The criers report feeling worse—
Except they feel better than others when some
Ninety minutes have passed, not at first.

It seems that emotional tears have more protein
Than tears from a poke in the eye.
This makes them more viscous and slower to run,
Which in turn makes them easy to spy.

This meshes with human reliance on visual
Signals in facial expressions.
The tears call for help, and at times they may beg
Other parties to cease their aggressions.

The fact that our noses are high off the ground
Means we have to rely less on scent.
It figures that animals other than humans
Have less of an optical bent.

It’s also worth noting that babies of humans
Are far more dependent than most.
Their hollers are shrill, but the tears may call further
Attention to keep us engrossed.

When older folk sob, it would not be so easy
To tell how they felt without tears.
That’s all I can offer for now; hope we reach
A consensus within a few years.