We didn’t mind the dirt,
and when they gave us fire
we could stay warm,
which helped us to understand 
kindness.  We walked around
all day picking things up:
shiny metal rocks, feathers,
what the animals had left for us.
They had been here longer,
but didn’t seem to mind our arrival.
The mountains were always far away,
like forbidden ladders to the horizon.
We never did learn how to swim.
When we looked up at night, 
we waved to all of the blinking
gods above us.  We were sure
that they still watched us,
that if we became lonely
they would send someone else.