HUMANITY

I think I have a lot more to say about humanity, but these poems are a start.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS

All living beings on earth today have all their ancestors
     as part of them.
Even down to the individual cell our DNA reflects that ancestry.
We humans are brothers and sisters of all the humans
     that have ever lived.
Embedded in each of us is a common design, a common sense,
     common needs, and a common basis for moral laws.
Our hearts beat, our lungs breathe, and our minds think in
     common ways.
Our rationality and spirituality have grown from a common seed.
The differences we perceive between ourselves are tiny
     compared to these commonalities.
The future of our species depends on our ability to cherish our
     Brothers and Sisters.

 WHAT CAN I DO BY MYSELF?

What can I do by myself,
   all alone
   and naked
   in a primeval forest?

What if I have
  no past,
  no knowledge,
  no culture,
  no one else.

Well, I can
   breathe,
   see,
   hear,
   smell,
   taste,
   and touch.

But how do I interpret my senses,
   if I have no experience.

I can
   walk,
   run,
   climb,
   and lift.

But what do I do with these physical skills
   if I know nothing?

I can think, but
   without knowledge,
   without memories,
   what good will my thinking do.

I can
   be happy,
   be sad,
   be worried,
   be angry.

But in my present circumstances,
  mostly I can be only  afraid!

Maybe I have instincts,
    but what are they?

So, what would I do?
  Explore my surroundings?
      What would I be looking for?
  Climb a tree to be safe?
     What does it mean to be safe?
  Make a nest or shelter.
     I have no idea what a shelter or nest is.
  Find water and get a drink?
       Surely drinking water must be an instinct.
  Look for food and eat?
      What things are food?
  Try to find someone else?
     Why would I even think there might be someone else?
     How could there not be some one else?
     How else did I come to be?
     How did my surroundings come to be?
     Finding this someone might explain everything.

By myself,
   without a past,
   with no knowledge,
   with no family,
   with no village,
   I can do almost nothing!

I need knowledge!
I need a family!
I need a village!
  This is my only hope.
  I’m in a race for knowledge and kinship against death.
  Who will win?