Gaia’s Retort

I see you picturing
the Gaia you’d prefer.
Do you think it is possible
to live like that, entirely swaddled
in compassion? Never damaging
any being?

As if you could. As if you could
put yourself above animals,
say you are better than those
who slay and war, more akin to those
slain and slaughtered. You are the slayer
simply by being. How many
from every species
die daily to keep you upright, connected,
smiling, healthy, mobile,
alive?

The plants, the animals, and all
the microbes in between
are gossiping about your arrogance.

You are no better
just because
you can say out loud
or write
that you are better.

As lovely as it would be
to have a world without
all the screaming,
it would also be as imaginary
as a place
without ghosts.

I do not say be cruel
for cruelty’s sake, or
gratuitously so where less
will serve —

but you are not special enough
to Gaia that you can exist outside
of the way things are.