What elemental blue-green eruption sprouting a thousand eyes —
what ancient fulminating seed

with a drive to survive, to suckle, grow, seek water or fire,
boil and freeze, or die —

what primitive multitudinous mutation made me want to rule
what I see, touch, or imagine should be mine,

made me female, male, nothing, something, lost, found,
made me fear, hate, love, murder, and regret?

When and where did this lust for life and land take shape,
carry me to where I am?

Oh to live and work together in peace! Or is that some other
creation, some other universe?

And how can I stop myself from eating or defeating what I find
if I exist only by chance,

up a rocky shore from the dark and deep: swimming, crawling,
and walking on an earth

where many lovely fate-befallen creatures vanished —
or had no chance to breathe at all?