How Are You?

Sometimes I come across animal videos.

Some in the sea,

some on land,

some in the air.

Some still waiting to be born,

some newly born,

some already grown.

Once in a while,

I stop and watch a little longer.

Watch them enter this world.

Watch them run.

Watch them look for food.

Watch a mother with her young.

Watch them draw near to one another.

Seeing moments of fear.

Seeing moments of injury.

Sometimes,

while looking at them through the screen,

I suddenly want to ask:

How are you?

Of course,

there is no reply.

The thought simply appears from time to time.

Watching a little longer,

I see them simply living.

Looking for food.

Wanting a safe place.

Wanting to live freely.

They know joy.

They know fear.

They bond.

They lose.

And for a moment,

I wonder:

How different are they from me?

Then the video continues.

The question does not go any further.

It simply remains there,

quietly.