Our Share of Consciousness

All beings on this earth
share at least
a bit of consciousness;
enough, at least,
to sense their place
in the order of things.

A tree does not aspire
to be more than a tree;
nor does a cat or dog strive
to be anything but itself.

So
perhaps it is this
that makes us human:
that we can imagine a self
that is different
from the way we are,
or imagine this world
becoming different
from the way it is.

And so, we try to change ourselves,
and to change the world,
for better, or for worse,
ignoring our true nature,
and the nature of our home.

And the more we try to change,
the less we may remember
the perfection we were born with,
and the bounty and magnificence
that is all around us.