a sunday short

i am human, and yet…

i have two eyes and yet
the eagle,
the owl,
the giraffe, 
all have eyes that function better
in this world of form and food and function. 
my eyes not “as good as theirs.” 

i have a nose and yet
the dog,
the salmon,
the bee,
all have noses that function better
in this world of smell and hunger and danger.
my nose not “as good as theirs.”

i have two ears and yet
the bat,
the dolphin,
the elephant,
all have ears that function better
in this world of noise and relationship and silence.
my ears not “as good as theirs.”

i have legs and yet
the cheetah, 
the horse,
the wildebeest,
all have legs that function better
in this world of faster and longer and quicker.
my legs not “as good as theirs.”

i have muscles and yet
the gorilla,
the orca,
the grizzly,
all have muscles that function better
in this world of bigger and stronger and power.
my muscles not “as good as theirs.” 

- - - - -

i have a brain and yet
many say this is what distinguishes me 
once and for all
from every other earth-known creature.
but my brain in this world
has created guns,
and bombs,
and wars,
and hate, 
to function as efficient tools to kill
all forms of life
with brains of their own, 
and hearts. 
why should my brain distinguish itself
amidst the tools of destruction only it has birthed into this world? 
is my brain truly better than theirs?

on the evolutionary tree of life,
humans are at the self-proclaimed pinnacle. 
every other being would beg to differ if they could.

“why?” is all they’d have to ask.

why?

---

🙏🏼

~ k

there is only one animal species that has ever lived on this planet, that has threatened the lives of all other species of organisms. only one.

take that one animal species away, and all the rest of the natural world thrives as they arrive at their natural and abundant equilibrium. only one animal species has to worry about the impact of their existence upon their existence.

only one.

Mine, at least what there is of it.