I wonder why we take pleasure in strife,
Why we derive joy from profits
At the expense of the dying Earth,
And why we must sell weapons
To cause more sorrow and pain.
***
We chose paths of darkness and destruction,
Even as Nature tries to guide us right.
Now the greedy may sit in costly parks
Or peer at fine gardens from windows,
But they will see no damage their corporations do
Each time a hurricane or wildfire wipes out entire species.
We are all concerned with the economics
Of land, labor, and capital…
Even as these are the things destroying our world.
The oceans slowly devour our lands;
The Earth’s foundations can no longer hold.
Chemicals in the air mutate our diversity.
The pursuit of money consumes us.
Day and night, industries smoke,
And those of us who are broke
Think that this is civilization,
Hailing mass production,
And our religion is money, more profit,
In a world where pure rivers still flow.
***
From waterfalls to little ponds and great lakes,
Beautiful colors of plastic showcase man’s coldness,
Coldness to himself, to fellow man, and to creatures
Who must live, unfortunately, with their tormentors.
Even now, the creatures we share this place with
Know little about the causes of the looming doom,
But I am convinced they are playing a part
In helping keep the world safe and habitable.
Sometimes I pray we don’t come to a point
Where we wear gas masks to communicate
And watch trees grow in an enclosure
Because they are the only ones left to see!
***
I am also convinced that the world goes round,
And with it, everything that finds itself in her.
***
Commentary:
This is no poem. I am worried. I fear for the Earth, with all these issues clouding her: global warming and its vices, wars, civil unrest, refugee issues, poverty, corruption, terrorism, and Africa. I salute corporations and individuals who see the need to devise ways to sustain Earth’s resources and reduce the impact of ‘destructive agents’ on our environment.
I am using the word we because the whole world is engaged in businesses that, in one way or another, contribute to our most pressing problem: global warming. We must take urgent measures to save our only planet.
