i heard the statistic
the exact number
of humans still alive
but i can't quite remember the
exact count
but i can remember the
exact way you said it
seven billion forty-six million
in that way you speak
cold clinical scientific
specific
narcissistic
condescending
hopeless
in the whole of the universe
massive
vast
ever-expanding
how can we ever have the
audacity
the word you used
hateful
betrayed
to think we matter?
yes
i agreed for a moment
in the vastness of existence
a planck-length to us
is what we are to the universe
minute
tiny
nothing
but
we see everything in the matter of context
in the matter of perspective
what may seem like a duck some way
is a rabbit to another
and a missing drop of paint
is nothing in the whole of the portrait
but
in the context of my dance team
i lead
so others can dance
in the context of my friends
i joke
so others can laugh
in the context of my family
i live
so others can live
in the context of my cat
who hates all others
of her species
and hides from
humans
i am the lap to lay on
and the safe haven
from the vacuum cleaner
in the context of knowledge bowl
the keeper of the bits
everyone misses
random trivia
not related to anything
in the context of geology class
the winner of the socks
because who really wants socks?
in the context of work
quick efficient fast
who else
can get those plates out
in five minutes or less?
in the context of projects
comedic tragic robotic
literary entertainment
tricks to get through
the worst years of your life
in the context of industry
holder of the lifeblood
that keeps
the slowly slowly slowly
fading deteriorating
heart of big business running:
money
in the grand scheme
we don't matter
no
but
there is always
always
more than one side
to a story
viewed
from the right angle
everything
has it's place
everything
everyone
matters to something
or someone
how can we think we matter?
let me answer your question
with a question:
how can we have the
audacity
i remembered the word
you see
to think we don't ?
