I often write
about how humans
are supposed to be
the shepherds of nature
how our place in the world
was to tend to the forests
was to tend the animals
was to help the cycle
of coexistence
not to break it
but I realize now
the limit of my thinking
that it was us alone
who did the caring
look to the bird song
on the golden morning air
look to the joy everybody feels
when the family dog
enters the room
look to the calm
that a walk in the woods brings
look to the smell of a flower
to see my shortsightedness
that it was never
just us taking care of nature
but of course
that nature has always
taken care of us too