Blank paper: limitless potential.  I mark the

page: I communicate.  So too, my garden.  I

recently planted a fruit tree; I look forward

to jam, sauce and pudding.  I hope my successors

appreciate their bounty.  My garden, my mark,

my legacy.  So, too, planet Earth.  Our species

have made our mark.  We communicate our culture,

celebrate our achievements and know our science.

Once we’re gone, we leave our legacy.  All our thought,

art and knowledge will be gone.  Multiple species

will remain extinct.  Plastic will still clog oceans.

And no-one, but no-one, will know why we did it.