There’s Life, and Then There’s Rest

Resources draw the attention of thieves.
Down to its roots, life itself is never

Short on thievery, thieves, potential thieves.
How is that? Have you ever stolen things?

You have. It’s human to pretend oh no,
I’ve never stolen anything. Corvids

Are similarly good at affecting
Insouciant indifference, innocence,

While keeping spying eyes on each other.
But dissembling’s only a special form

Of theft, which all life’s good at, more or less.
Predators, parasites, and scavengers—

Once you’ve identified all thefts, what’s left?
Just whatever’s not alive, just the rest.