I am...
a creature:
a brain and a spinal cord.
a sack of organs,
a vessel to pass on DNA.
a former embryo,
a future corpse.
hominidae—
a simple-minded primate
disguised as an animal of intellect.
Mother Nature’s attempt at a flawless organism—
millions of Her other fruitless endeavors for perfection
melted into one, entirely new entity.
the product of both good and evil people.
a testament to my ancestors,
who drained the pigment from my features
as they moved north, and their
need for melanin slowly ebbed away.
( shaking my fist at them
for dropping me under that searing Alabama sun,
when they spent so long designing me for
the low-light and cold. )
folding my hands, looking to the sky,
and thanking the people
who bestowed upon me so many blessings—
but also cursing them
for the blessings they withheld.
not immune to the unique greed and hatred of human nature.
two X-chromosomes thrashing about,
designing their sui-generes dance
to the song of womanhood.
made of starstuff,
just like everything else.
wondering, pondering, calculating—
earnest in my quest for understanding the world.
wondering what you are thinking as you read this.
( trying not to sound condescending. )
done seeking the answer to that dead-end question:
what is the meaning of life?
making my own purpose.
making my own meaning.
quietly loving others,
in the beautiful web of human connection
because loving is harder than hating
but it’s just better for some reason.
transcending my biological design.
trying to become a better creature.