Re:Birth

I've always had a bit of a thing about existentialism, but also a bit of a thing about Buddhism and I guess both of these philosophies try to answer the question "What is the point of it all?"

This poem doesn't answer that question.

Re:birth

The shortest life I lived
was as an ant, only the third day foraging
above ground, when
slurp...eaten by an echidna
oh well, at least no bad karma there

And the longest life I lived
was as a tortoise in the Galapagos
a hundred and fifty years
give or take a decade
munching peacefully on grass
I remember the arrival of a big
log surmounted by a cloud
and a man scratching marks
on strange white leaves
(not very tasty!)
darwin was the sound he responded to
when called by others of his kind
I wonder what ever happened to him

And the sweetest life I lived
was as a hawk
soaring swiftly on the winds
my mate and I feeding bloody
shreds of vermin to our chicks
seeing their first flight
then never seeing them again

And my life now?
without the mindless purpose
of an ant
or the peaceful sedateness
of a tortoise
or the fierce and untamed freedom
of a hawk

My life unplanned by nature
my actions in my hands
missing the irresponsibility of mindless instinct
feeling the heavy burden
of choice