An Ode to Bacteria

The song of bacteria.
So just imagine,
The very first life on the planet, a very tiny, a single cell of bacteria.
And over time those bacteria begin to dance with each other.
And so, as I'm thinking, not only did they dance with each other,
They changed.
They shifted.
They weren't all the same.
Even a single-celled critters.
There were many different kinds of single-celled critters.
And it was that difference that really allowed them to dance with each other
Because they each brought a benefit that the other didn't have.
So in that dancing, they combined.
They became two-celled organisms.
And three-celled and multi-celled.
And then they became us.


We are… 30,000 different kinds of bacteria,
Bacteria,
And viruses.
With billions and trillions of each one,
Billions of different kinds.
And it's those critters that make it possible for us as an entity,
As a being to live.
The mitochondria in our cells that give us energy have no DNA relationship with us at all. They are totally separate critters.
Doing their own thing.
And by doing their own thing, they bring us to life.
That's awesome.


So, the song of the bacteria.
The oldest living things on the planet.
The living things with the most experience at life.
The living things who have experienced the most on this planet.
The most life.


What would they have to tell us?
One of the things we know about bacteria is that they are constantly exchanging DNA with each other.
You get any two together and they go swap.
Let's shift.
Let's change.
Let's see what happens.
That's where their resilience comes from.
Because they're so open to new,
So open to experimenting,
So open to sharing and exchanging what they know with each other,
In embracing that newness, they are able to adjust and adapt
Instantly, almost.
To any change that comes their way.
And that has become one of their secrets for longevity.


I am wondering, as a human being,
If our very sense of identity gets in the way of our evolution.
Certainly,
Bacteria are free to evolve and have been free to evolve and have become amazing things. They've become mastodons.
And Tyrannosaurus Rex.
And skinks and ants.
And all sorts of creatures.
Even plants.
So, they are garnering an incredible array of understanding of life.
And against that, I wonder if our understanding pales.


When we think of ourselves.
Consciousness is one of our defining traits.
And consciousness is what we think about in terms of God and deities.
And consciousness is what we think about as the foundation
Of the universe.
We are learning that everything is conscious.
To some extent.
Everything has the ability to make choices.
And is constantly choosing,
in fact.
Everything is sentient.


Water on this planet is a magical substance.
That many equate with consciousness.
For water is truly what makes life possible.
Even for bacteria.
And water is everywhere.
We find it everywhere in the universe.
So, could water be one of the carriers of consciousness
Or the carrier of consciousness?


And how does the consciousness of this thing we call bacteria that
Has such a variety,
Is so voracious in its love for life,
Is so exquisite in its ability to mutate and change,
And adapt and adapt and adapt due to difference.
How is that consciousness different
From our consciousness?
From our consciousness which struggles to understand our role in our planet,
Let alone our universe?
Our consciousness, which fears beings from outer space
Which fears others who know more than we do, and certainly
I would think bacteria know more than we do.


What an interesting thing to think about!
The song of the bacteria,
And how that song sweeps through our world.
Is it on other worlds?
We have no way of knowing.
Are bacteria unique to our world, or are they everywhere?
If they're everywhere, how do they go from place to place?
How does that happen?
Is the memory of that carried in water?
Is it water that makes that happen?
Because the water knows.
That is a song for another time.




~ Kathryn Alexander MA – April 2025