A maple tree
In front of me.
I wonder how
It came to be.

I'll make a tree
So I can see
The maple tree
Phylogeny.

I’ll make the tree
In many ways.
With Phylip, PAUP
And MrBayes.

To see which model
Works the best
I’ll first begin
With ModelTest.

I’ll find the bootstrap
And decay
To see which clades
To throw away.

And then MacClade
Will map the past
Of traits that helped
Each species last.

To show the Truth
And help me see.
Convergence or
Homology?

And when my tree
Is tried and true
I’ll write a paper
For review.

To ask my colleagues
All so wise,
“Publish now”
Or “Please revise”?

And when my paper’s
Gone to press,
The provost, dean
And all the rest,

Who make decisions,
Big and small,
Will grant me tenure
Once for all.

So maple tree
In front of me,
Whose history
I now can see,

You’ve surely kept me
From the brink,
Lest in my job
I go extinct.