“Until he extends the circle of compassion

To all living things,

Man will not find peace.”

                               Dr. Albert Schweitzer

The light-hearted epitaph above

Is how my spouse envisions I will perish

I’ve had some very harrowing experiences

On the road of life that all we creatures cherish

I always stop my vehicle in heavy traffic

To render aid to a starving or injured dog

And I will continue to extend my compassion

To any needy man child chipmunk or frog

If we cannot each help our neighbors

In some fashion each and every day

Our immortal souls are already lost

And ultimate damnation is on the way

And before you begin to regale me

With the so-called superiority of man

Whether you choose to accept it or not

We are all just animals - in Nature’s creative plan

And if we are truly superior beings

We must learn to shepherd our home planet

It’s filled with millions of other living souls

Not just homes and offices built of granite

The very second I put my ego aside

And heeded Dr. Schweitzer’s sage advice

I truly found the peace I had sought

It’s made all the difference in my life

And if I should perish helping any neighbor

I’m sure my heart and soul will be content

And I will be able to look back on a life

That, at least to me, was extremely well spent

And Please read my article, Our Bizarre Congress.  You might be quite surprised at some of the birds that are now being dubbed as ‘Enemies of the State.’