The Beauty of Accident

I change screensavers on whim.
Right now it is a picture from National Geographic
of three Siberian Tigers: a mother and two half-grown cubs.
I fall in love with them every time I log on!

There is something wonderful
about a species that can love the survival
of another that probably would kill it
if ever they met, and both were hungry.

Nothing has shaped the course of evolution that we can see,
except chance and necessity. Things just happen.
Things just work. So here we are: workable! We are here!
It is not to be debated. Siberian Tigers are here, as are we.

Siberian Tibers are barely here.
That might also be true for us, but we do have
the advantage of accidental brain changes
that make us really formidable contestants, except
of course, for members of the US Senate.

Something has gone right, if we can love tigers,
who would eat us if they needed to, and us,
who would set our own ideals aside, if we needed to,
and eat tigers, if we had to.

There is no merit in recognizing that,
but there is a warm gladness in knowing that
we have wandered our ways here, and that,
in wandering, we have come to a beautiful place.

It is more beautiful, and more savage, than any
purposeful creator ever could have imagined.

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