The Duality of the Singular

The animal existence of my reality

begins by rubbing my eyes,

my feet finding the floor,

the slow, certain steps towards

making coffee.

                      And then the sitting

down, looking out

                             but looking, listening

in as well

               because I know for me --

though I can't speak for my brothers

and sisters of the wild -- there are

at least two worlds.

                                   And to deny one

or the other is utter denial of me.

I immigrated here from my mother's

womb, the joint effort of egg and sperm

and desire and love: these last two

inherent before I breathed my first breath.

So that other instinct of my existence

I don't deny either;

                             I don't think any wild

creature is so cross-blooded,

that elixir of human and divine,

divine-in-human, humanly diviine 

is only yours and mine.

Even Angels and Devils can't claim

the blessings and curses we call

human we alone possess.

-Byron Hoot