Since 1908
And the first case of HIV
Long before even that
We have stripped Nature to her knees
For assets
And occasional viruses
Not so occasional now, it seems
And we are not so immune from
Our foolish appropriation of that which was never ours
HIV
Ebola
Swine flu
SARS
Zika
Coronas of many numbers
More whose scientific names I forget
To my shame
Because the list should be listed
Lest we forget and go back
To taking what isn’t ours
And getting what we’re given
When we never factored it in
I am sorry
So sorry
The sorrow fills and spills over into rage
When all this is over and the
Last
Dead
Have been counted
We will hang our heads in shame
And find our place in the world again
With humility and finally
Perhaps
Understanding
Nwyfre 