The poet feels a mandate
to inject light and hope into her work,
the better to inspire, uplift and motivate.
But in dark days,
seeing the planet
and humankind as it is,
discouragement takes up residence.
She tries to beat the dusty curtains of her soul,
polish up the windows of her eyes,
nudge that flagging heart into action,
but her soul is weary
of the struggle.
Seventy years of bumpy road,
we humans struggled towards social justice,
and now we are about to
step back fifty years.
She believes in the transformation
of human consciousness,
the evolution of souls,
the race of rainbow warriors
now arriving.
She knows we can be better than we are,
are meant to be better than we are.
Yet here we are, a melting planet
of extinct and endangered species,
(including us),
a warming, dying sea,
too many nations a battleground;
it feels as if the human experiment
has failed.
Existential angst,
as hope settles into acceptance
of defeat.
Her best hope, on the worst days:
that somehow Mother Earth will survive us,
will grow cool and green and lush
..........and begin again.
for Elizabeth Crawford's Creativity Challenge: to choose a word reflective of what one is seeing and feeling, and write about it. I am hoping my default optimism will return, but with current events so dismal, I am having a hard time, especially in the area of climate change.
But, you did exactly what I asked, told us what you see and how you feel. Many of us feel similar things. However, I'd like to point out something I learned a long time ago. Feelings are not facts. They are a barometer reading only. They can be changed if we choose to do so.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
A different tone from an earlier work.
ReplyDeleteKeep the faith
What a beautiful image to end this poem and a note of beginning too
ReplyDeleteThis poem is round the beautiful jewel our planet should be
Much love...
Inspiring note at the end Sherry ~ That is my hope too ~
ReplyDeleteWe are very much on the same place. I have a lethargy I cannot shake. The survival of the earth is always =my best hope. All the most important questions now are existential: Can we (humans, not just you and me) rise to the challenge of dismantling systems that no longer work to create something better?
ReplyDeleteEach one of us with
ReplyDeleteour own beauty,
each of us a blossom
One has all the attributes but still the will to stake a claim to contribute is minimal. There has to be a concerted effort triggered off by a calamity perhaps!
Hank