Solidarity by Taz Hunt

The fairy wren gifting a petal to another male, 

A beautiful mating ritual. 

The albatrosses pairing with others of their own sex,

A pair for life. 

California condor SB234, genetically a female, 

Showing strong male behavior. 

The swallowtail butterfly with one male and one female wing,

Still able to fly with its colors. 

The crocodiles and alligators, 

Whose sex is decided by temperature. 

The birds, 

Who never had XY chromosomes to begin with. 

The ant colony, where the soldiers protect the workers,

Where the workers actually care for the larva and the sick. 

The worker bees overthrowing and killing their queen,

Because she wasn’t working well enough for them. 

The Arctic terns, which travel from pole to pole with only their wings,

Ready to nest in a safe place for their chicks. 

The mycorrhizal fungi hidden in every root system, 

Transmitting information and nutrients from plant to plant. 

The golden orb weaver spiders resting on their webs,

The males a tenth of the size of their strong counterparts. 

The lionesses watching a fight for pride leadership, 

Waiting to step in with the ferocity of a mother. 

The bonobos, one of our closest relatives, 

Who are female-led, at peace, who enjoy time with each other. 

How puny the hatred and indifference of man is, 

Compared to the powerful, unflinching diversity of Mother Nature.