Before the world changed, we'd grown stagnant
In the face of disaster, we fell amongst our own
While the human species long believed itself great
We'd no other species to compare ourselves too
We needed to ignore our myth, remember truth
We forgot our roots, our species rose from beasts
As our intellect grew, we stood upright
Aware, intelligent, on two feet
We watched and recognized our ascendant place
Other primates were stronger, but not as bright
In need, we learned to use tools, we planned
Communicated by speaking, and by thinking
We pursued scholarly knowledge, split the atom
Humanity reached space, we'd scored a victory
Humanity developed a presence, near earth orbit
We believed that we successfully, fulfilled destiny
But when we encountered a new form of life
We wildly celebrated, no longer alone
We also believed ourselves superior
For when the alien language translated
First contact was not what we'd thought
The first life form encountered were pawns
Meek, small, dull of thought, and subservient
For when we thereafter met the mother species
We faced an intellect far greater and powerful
We imagined that they were somehow like us
For we believed our kind to be a genius
They saw nothing in us actually worthy
They'd never declare us to be kindred
Every disaster of first contact replayed
We acted, as always, like militant beasts
And moments after the short war began
All of the other species acted in concert
They perceived our weakness and acted
We were crushed, vain, ignorant fools
From the pressure of the contact
And mother race guiding us
We'd reverted back to a bestial self
In this encounter, we were the primitive
Nothing we could do
And nothing we would do
Could ever change that
