billions of prior people

when we all
have odd
fears,
intriguing
fetishes,
slappy pleasures,
unknown terrors,
magical ecstasies,
we have
to realize
that our
vessels
of mind and soul
are the
wavering entirety
of every human
that came before
us.
as we carry
the torch of
humanity forward
just a blink
more
into the future
beyond,
it's easy to get
lost in the
small bubble
of our immediate family
we know.
but we also had generations
of family that led to ours
and
was
hugely before ours.
then mince
in all the friend’s
acquaintances,
work fellows,
memorable stingers
and we are
armed
with enough
human ancestry of
memory to make us
become a mixed
bag
of quixotic eccentricies.
and when we realize
that the human remains of
centuries of folks
are the basis of the oil
we wage wars over
you can
begin to come full circle
in understanding how
intricately entwined
in this reality
with all our fellow
humans
we
truly
are.