Monument by Peter Naylor. Photograph Opher Goodwin

Little by Little

 

All life on this planet came from one single cell. We are all evolved from that one mother.

Each step on the route from simplicity to complexity took millions of years and was full of chance, serendipity and spectacular luck. It’s chances were less than slim.

Yet in a universe of unimaginable size even the most unlikely event has to occur.

Intelligence is probably the greatest achievement of evolution.

We may be alone. The improbabilities of life and intelligence are so great.

There will be other life somewhere but probably in other distant galaxies beyond our reach; galaxies in which light might take a million years to reach us here. We will never know.

What we have here on this planet is beyond amazing. The spectrum of nature, its beauty and diversity, is a splendour more wondrous than all the collected works of mankind.

Little by little it was built up from nothing.

Little by little we are trashing it – species by species, tree by tree, hedge by hedge, bird by bird, frog by frog, fly by fly – until it is all gone.

Except we are part of that web and so interconnected we will not survive without it.

Intelligence is tainted with insanity. 

 

Little by Little

 

Little by little

It creeps

Bit by bit

Until it is gone.

Unnoticed

Each small death

Betrays a future.

Devouring

It all

In increments

Until it is gone.

 

Only then

Will they see

What is also lost

Will be

You and me.

 

We will all be gone too.

 

Opher 9.6.2016