so little, so much

we ask so little of each other, don't we?

and we ask so much of our cars, our ornate shelters,
our money-generating workplaces, our computers, our
telecommunications devices and our transportation networks.

we ask for so few hugs, loving attention,
sitting-on-the-porch time, watching the clouds,
laying in the arms of Mother Earth.

we ask so much of our laser printers, our food production systems,
our roads, our health care providers, our brief vacations.

we ask for so little kindness, acknowledgment,
playtime, communion with nature, physical affection, help.

we ask so much of airports, email, international trade in electronics,
our befuddled government officials, the entertainment industry,
fast food and coffee joints.

we take so little time to feel, to stretch our bodies,
to breathe deeply, to appreciate the moments we get in
tiny portions of patient urban beauty.

what would life be like if the so little and the so much
traded places?