**** nothing. I know all things that live die,
still **** nothing. All life is sacred, so let all creatures
live their sacred lives until they end naturally.
I saw a gnat once on my desktop. It was so small
I could barely see it, but I did not **** it. I watched
as it slowly--very slowly-- made its way from one
end of my desk to the other. I grew to admire the
gnat's tenacity. I grew fond of the gnat. The gnat
became my friend. The next morning, I looked
for the gnat somewhere on my desktop and
finally found it. I called the gnat "Ben." Ben was
now my friend. Ben did its thing while I did my
things. The third day, I looked for Ben again.
I looked and looked and looked, but could not
find Ben. Finally, I stopped looking and began
to use my computer. Toward noon, I lifted a
small stack of papers, and as I did, saw Ben. He
was dead, lying, I could barely see, on his side.
I knew Ben for a little more than two days, but
I was sad. I had lost a friend.

TOD HOWARD HAWKS