Intelligent Life?

If humans are the most intelligent life on the planet
why do we choose war?
Why do we destroy our environment and overheat our atmosphere
then deny the damage?

Animals do not do this
Even the most lowly bug does not do this
But we think we’re better

Trees connect through their roots
When another tree is dying they try to feed it
We kill each other

Animals are sensitive to the emotions of humans
We think we are their masters
Yet rarely does an animal attack just because
They attack for a reason
We attack
Verbally – physically – and with bigger weapons

A lion will walk past a herd of food if it isn’t hungry
We will kill for food then throw it away
We are the definition of excess
Some of us

We have no compassion for those who would be grateful
For what we so thoughtlessly discard
Whilst developed countries eat to excess
Others starve
Yet we think that we are masters of the universe

We take what was intended to be good
And use it as reasons to kill
We populate a land and then kill for it
Rather than farm and grow food on it

We take the colour of our skin to mean something
It means nothing
Only what is in the heart means something
Good or bad
Gentle or violent
Loving or cruel

Yet our countries
Races
Religions
Genders
Clothes
Houses
Cars
Mean so much
So much of nothing
Only the heart truly means anything
Everything

If we were intelligent we would know this
But how can you be intelligent if you lack compassion?
If you worship anything more than the right to life?
How can we possibly be intellingent?

Some of us are but we are the least heard
The voices screaming in the wilderness
Begging for peace and respect for all
Praying for the children to be safe and fed

We are mocked
Because we are liberal snowflakes
We are seen as soft
We don’t understand the realities of life

We are the ones who do understand the realities of life
Not the convenient constructions that lead to death and starvation
We know that millions of deaths do not equal victory
It is a failure of the highest magnitude
A denial of all the beauty we are capable of

We see these things for what they are
Cowardice of the highest measure
Cruelty of the most appalling kind

We see an equality that exists
We respect each other as we respect ourselves
We know that we are all human
All feel similarly
All cry over the same hurts
And all deserve to be safe well and happy
Always

We know that we are intelligent in the right way
We are emotionally intelligent
Deeply connected
And like the trees we would like to reach out
And save those that are dying
But governments and dictators keep getting in our way

We know
That we are all children of the universe
All one race
All one

You will never convince us otherwise

Deb Hawken
February 2024