Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Warning: Distressing to Animal Lovers: Shay and Toni: don't click
Heartbreak
as the small koala cries,
as the burning others are declared
"functionally extinct"
in this world that
greed has made.
I feel the burning
in my soul.
I hear the creatures' cries
in my haunted dreams.
We are awakening
to this nightmare we have made,
but we are awakening too slowly
as the flames lick through
three continents,
as the icecaps melt,
polar bears find nowhere steady
to place their feet,
their corpses just skin and bone
where the starving creatures fall.
I want to leave you hopeful,
in the planetary peril.
But we are awakening
too slowly,
friends.
The koalas all
are burning.
I'm sorry for this dismal poem but the koala's suffering just does me in. I saw a news photo of a polar bear who had starved until it was literally skin and bone and died where it had crawled to. A horrible death. I can't bear how slowly governments and humans are responding to the crisis. Venice is underwater, three continents are burning. Climate crisis is not a discussion any more. It is here. And not enough is changing. We are waking up too late.
for Susan at Midweek Motif: Awakening. Sigh.
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Sherry,
ReplyDeleteIndeed what a sad sad world we are waking up to almost every day; worse than the day before.
I too lament that none of the world leaders or the populations, seem particularly bothered by those dreadful photos of emaciated polar bears or the dear koalas burnt in the ongoing bush fires.
I think some people are horrified, but feel lost in a bigger world, that doesn't seem to care.
Climate changes are happening all around the planet. The awakening has already commenced, without any real solution being offered..
You are awakened, dear poet, and seem called to bring others into caring to create another path for the helpless creatures--all acted upon by the human machine. I'm not even sure people immolating themselves would help at this point. You are leaving beauty in the world, stories of the animals (and of you). And you are recording the howls of the awakened and the abused. You record the death calls. This is an important poem, my friend.
ReplyDeleteSherry, thank god for you and all those of us who care and think about our fellows on earth. I believe we are increasing in number each day. Like you, I wish it were making a difference faster. The suffering of animals is so hard to bear.
ReplyDeleteThere is smoke here in Adelaide from the bush (wild) fires burning across the gulf in Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Many areas across Australia are the same but still our federal government doesn't believe in climate change!
ReplyDeleteHope the poem reaches as many readers as possible. People who are awakened to the plight of our mother earth are as helpless as the burning koalas. So heartbreaking....
ReplyDeleteReally so sad, where are we heading....
ReplyDeleteI just wrote a comment with the words awakening too slowly and then i come in to read your poem and there it is, all i can say at this point is, indeed, "awakening too slowly"
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by to read mine.
Much💞love
Our work is to see the world deeply, which means beautiful swans in flight paired with burning koala bears and starving whales. This world we love is being ripped from sight by our own devouring indulgence. Tough time for lovers for sure and other functionally extinct.
ReplyDeleteSherry, so right, Sherry. In our country if "they" think possible action will lower their profits or affect their pleasures "they" call the cries "Fake" and that makes it nothing to worry about, it isn't happening. That happens in government strategies as well.
ReplyDeletePoor wildlife does have the capabilities and capacities that we humans are blessed with to adapt.
..
It's heartbreaking what's happening around us, and even more so that we are awakening to it slowly. A poignant write, Sherry!
ReplyDeleteI hope that this poem is read by many people, and passed to many more. Things are standing still.
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ReplyDeleteThe planet is a mess, and the people in power do not seem to care.
ReplyDelete