How to live longer

Be big mammals, elephants
or camels rather than rats or
spaniels. Spread the
mammalian allotment of
breaths and heartbeats
over longer, leisurely periods.
Or be people and greedy,
exceed by a factor of three
the beats and breaths and
lifetimes our size predicts.
Then further extend the human
span: geriatrics recommends
exercise, pets, senior sex,
and doing what you love.
Medicine may suggest other
extension methods, which may
or may not be called living.

Barbara Marquardt (Whinny. Poems about nature,
human and otherwise, 2008)