Life-chain trudged, millennia on end,
Accumulating treasured birthright.
Homo sapiens, his path to extend,
From ignorance, evolved to enlight.

“Descent of man,” Darwin said,
Epic journey from life’s low margins,
Features cumulated as he tread —
Elegance — from humble origins.

He clambered along, upright on feet,
Not comprehending Darwin’s find,
Instinct a persistent drumbeat —
“What comes natural” — on his mind.

Features that match eco-niche
Prime for self distinction,
Propagation extended reach,
And thus avoided extinction.

His success so pervasive,
Outward he'd reach,
Of earth’s corners was invasive,
Whole earth — now his niche.

In his domain he’d even go
To lifeless planets circling Sol,
Yet his wastrel ways echo
Across this fine blue ball,

With little knowledge of effect,
He lacked leaders of vision,
Knew little of what to expect,
Nor result of bad decision,

Came to fork in the road:
Thoughtless path of default.
Propagated grievous overload,
Brought to earth grave assault.

But he must not heed call,
To repeal Darwin out of hand,
For his problem is, after all,
He just didn’t understand.

To step back from wayward path,
And continue his merry way,
Irony — Darwin’s immutable bonds
Are imperative for a better day.

Where does Darwin stand
As ecological niches transform?
“Meet change’s rude demand
Or perish in biological storm.”

So how can he effect change
In the face of global warming?
Can he drink a colloidal range
Of contaminants most alarming?

Can he modify lungs used to air?
Breathe carbon dioxide instead?
Or toe to toe in gray despair,
Get shrinking daily bread?

Can expectations sink so low,
As to live with forced allocations?
In cold rain and blowing snow,
Stand in line for rations?

Watch prosperity sicken, die
From hyper-consumption effect,
 Desperate to understand why
Poverty’s the only prospect.

Yet to change innate biology,
Even if somehow he could,
Is not likely technology —
Not one he ever should.

If he can’t redesign biology
What’s left is less bad action.
Return health to earth’s ecology,
By wise numeric contraction.

For Darwinian affront impending
The only solution in sight —
With man still descending
On his epic journey to light —

He can stiffen his backbone,
Reduce his population size,
And reach sustainable milestone,
Grown healthy wealthy and wise.

© 2008 R. Leland Waldrip