Earthworm Envy
Inspired by the poem WORM by Gail McConnellHow wise!
Worms burrow and recycle,
leaving
their patch of earth
a better place.
Imagine humans
as determined.
But the twists and turns of evolution
seems to have left us
missing a few dollops of
ancient DNA,
abandoned over millennia,
when preserving a huge planet
appeared unnecessary,
and the cure for a disordered home
was simply to move.
Worms burrow and recycle,
leaving
their patch of earth
a better place.
Imagine humans
as determined.
But the twists and turns of evolution
seems to have left us
missing a few dollops of
ancient DNA,
abandoned over millennia,
when preserving a huge planet
appeared unnecessary,
and the cure for a disordered home
was simply to move.
This poem is copyright (©) Janice Scully 2026
About the Writer
Janice Scully
Janice is a retired doctor who enjoys poems about nature and science. She has an MFA from Vermont College and has had stories published in Highlights for Children. Her poems have been published in anthologies including THANKU: POEMS OF GRATITIDE, edited by Miranda Paul, and THINGS WE DO, Edited by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell.
