What difference does it make,
Some ask sincerely,
Whether we live well
Or not?
Everyone dies, humans perish,
What difference does it make?
I think of myriad ways
I can answer that:
Like how Dr. Carl Sagan,
The noted astronomer,
Once said we owe it
To our ancient ancestors
Who struggled fiercely
To survive, to thrive...
Or how creative artists suffer
In solitude to create
Works of art so beautiful
It makes us all
Appreciate the fragility
Of life itself.
I think of creatures,
All the millions,
Of lifeforms on Earth
That came before us,
And how each species
Is rare, unique,
How nature gave us
The gift of birth,
Perhaps the only intelligent
Life in the vast cosmos...
The universe is dark
And the only spark
Of hope, of brightness
Should not be lost.
Reasons of the seasons:
I think of spring
Tender, budding rebirth;
I think of summer
Long, hot days;
I think of autumn
Cool, crisp nights;
I think of winter
Cold, white death;
And I honestly wonder
How any human
Could even question
Why our lives matter?
Isn't it entirely obvious
That our awareness
Is reason enough?
That we're witnesses
To an unfathomable mystery
Here on Earth?
But I also think
Since we are alive,
Full of breath, intelligence,
That's another reason
To realize life is precious.
What difference does it make
Whether we live well
Or not?
Even lost in darkness
Each of us is special:
We are, quite simply,
An original, one-time miracle,
As unique as each snowflake,
Never to be repeated,
And we can make a difference
By the path we choose:
Humans have boundless
Choices before them.
But last and most importantly
We are HERE,
And yet some never explore,
Never learn;
Worse, they are unaware
Of all they're missing.
And it is for this reason
That it makes a difference
For us all to learn
How to be open-minded, curious;
How we can choose to honor
The Unquenchable and noble
Human quest
That lives within us,
Indestructible.
[Inspired by Mars Global
Surveyor Landing
July 4th/97]
