maybe a reboot is in order

 
I don't know if I believe or not
whether we return for another round
once our lives have ended
and we've been put in the ground
reduced to so much ashes or dust
scattered to the winds or sitting on a mantle
what I do know is the depths of cruelty man can sink
how terribly humanity treats other beings
animals & plants hunted to the brink
now endangered or extinct
if I must return to this world...
I'd prefer to come back as a human
given another chance to make amends
to learn more & try to make a difference
I love my cats & spoil them rotten
giving them plenty of attention & lovin's
but I have no wish to become one of their kind
at the mercy of man & their potentially nasty minds
perhaps if I come back I'll be able to reach them
teach them to do better...be better...
I don't know if I can
but it's gotta be worth a try
my only concern is that I can't be the first
how many lifetimes will it take before we finally learn
to lead with compassion & treat every life as if it matters
we cannot undo what's already been done
but maybe...given a second shot
we can make this world more compatible
more positively inhabitable
give every life on the planet a brighter future
where existence is the only merit determining worth
and humanity is seen at last...
...as human...kind