For History Class (from "Words")

Some fifteen billion years ago, according to those who know, a glowing egg burst in the middle of the emptiness and gave birth to the heavens and the stars and the worlds.

Some four or our-and-a-half million years ago, a year more, a year less, the first cell tasted the broth of the sea and liked it. Thus the cell divided, so it could offer someone a drink.

Some two million years ago, woman and man, practically apes, stood up on their legs and reached out with their arms and embraced and entered one another, and for the first time they experienced the joy and the terror of seeing each other, face to face.

Some four-hundred-fifty thousand years ago, woman and man struck one stone against another and lit the first fire, which helped them stave off the winter.

Some three-hundred thousand years ago, woman and man spoke the first words and believed they could understand each other.

And there we are still: wanting to be two, dying of fear, dying of cold, searching for words.

— Eduardo Galeano (translated by Mark Fried)

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