Procreation Is An Instinct

That baby in your arms

the one who caught you off guard

or maybe was your best laid plan

You’re gonna try so hard

to keep it safe

aren’t you?

Not just to feed it

or provide clothing and shelter

but guard it from the helter skelter

of this world that’s knocked you about

Your little one deserves better

right?

What a conundrum we face

when we try to propagate the human race

for our basic instincts are the same

as the animals of the forest green

We end up doing what we didn’t mean

to do at first

You know?

And, yes, every little one

deserves a chance to thrive

in our busy bee hives of cultures

But we soon realize

that we have precious little power

after enduring each hour of pain

Don’t we?

They say life is a gift

and mostly I’m not too miffed

to find myself here

but the description is a bit

over the top, I think

It feels more like an accident

You see?

An accidental pairing

of genes that carry

a predestined outcome to some degree

A little mini you or me

and then the extra burden

of unforeseen problems

without solutions

True?

So we hover

hoping to discover

the magic elixir

the amazing fixer

of all unbearable hardships

But I’ll give you a tip

There isn’t one

You understand?

This is life

in the raw

without the fairy tales

without the promises

without any hope

that the little one in your arms

will survive forever

Isn’t it?

Yet, our instincts win

for we remain to this day

despite our technological ways

part of nature’s animal kingdom

Our big brains are not able

to table the urges that we were given

to see our genes living beyond

our own inevitable death

With our very last breath we leave

our memories to the next generation

Ensuring that our species lives and dies

is what we excel at

Yes, THAT

and hoping this time it will be different.

©️Teresa Roberts