A restless species ours
just think how far
we've come since feet and hands
were well adapted
for moving through the trees
and human babies
even today are born with that reflex
by which a monkey child
clings to her mother's back
grasping her fur
how did we come to choose
life on the ground
out in the open
where both dangers
and opportunities were multiplied
it seems that is our genius
restless opportunists
we've learned to thrive
in every niche
on every continent
except Antarctica
and now that we've forgotten
what our ancestors once knew
about proceeding as one part
one thread in earth's
rich tapestry of life
we're ready to move on
dreaming of other planets
other homes
like children quick to leave behind
the sandcastles they've built
once the tide has risen
and the walls and towers
start to crumble
as the waves come rushing in