WISING UP

               Perhaps we should assume we are alone
               In all the universe, the only life
               Within the vastness of the cosmic zone,
               Instead of thinking consciousness is rife.

               For all our quests, we’ve found no evidence
               That life and mind on Earth are not unique,
               And though the known cosmos is immense,
               There’s something more important we should seek

               Right here and now: how best for us to thrive,
               For we ourselves have come to pose a threat
               That all of earthly life may not survive,
               With no one in the cosmos to regret.

                    Assume life has one chance, and this is it;
                    Our wisdom, though, is the prerequisite.

*