The Tardigrade champion Of Life Poem by Tor Magnor Solvang

A tiny bear in water dwells,
Too small to see with eyes alone,
He walks upon his eight small legs,
A hidden life on moss and stone.

Named by a pastor long ago,
'Slow stepper' is his formal name,
He moved through time and history,
But stays the quiet, humble same.

When heat is high or cold is deep,
Or water hides away from sight,
He curls into a little ball
To hide from all the world's despite.

His body turns to solid glass,
His heartbeat stops its steady beat,
He waits through decades in the dark,
Until the world is once more sweet.

He rode the stars in metal ships,
He faced the vacuum cold and wide,
He saw the end of ancient times,
With nothing he could fear inside.

A champion of life and breath,
The smallest friend we'll ever know,
He survives the worst the world can give,
By simply learning how to slow.