"I spare myself the news,"
she says comfortably.
"I don't need to know;
I like my inner peace."
It must be nice to be
a climate-change denier,
a group in which you must remain
oblivious to belong.
But we poets are the canaries
in the cage. Our job is
to sing the planet's song.
"What's the use of stressing?
It won't do any good.
Nothing's going to change,
even if it could."
But I am too aware of social
and environmental woes.
Can't turn my eyes away, impossible
to un-know all I know.
"It's all fake news, anyway.
They feed us lies. It's all a hoax."
(It's plain impossible
to educate some folks.)
The sad truth: when the cataclysm comes,
it will swallow believers and unbelievers
just the same. (Like the virus,
you believed only after it came.)
Even if it feels like
emptying the ocean with a spoon,
even if our worst nightmare
arrives too soon,
in the meantime, I'll
do everything I can
to help Mother Earth fulfil
her life-affirming plan.
for earthweal, where Jim wants us to write in the voice of a climate crisis denier. I found it impossible to do the whole poem that way. Had enough trouble, even so. Smiles.
Yes, one has to keep on trying....and to hope the world will come around too!
ReplyDelete"Even if it feels like
ReplyDeleteemptying the ocean with a spoon,"
Love this line, Sherry and the point counterpoint of the conversation. Your analogy to the virus also resonates. Great stuff...JIM
Some people give up before they even start...but not everyone thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteI too liked the image of the spoon..i hope there will always people brave enough to speak for Mother Earth
ReplyDelete"But we poets are the canaries
ReplyDeletein the cage. Our job is
to sing the planet's song."
OMG such beautiful words
Thanks for dropping by my sumie Sunday Sherry
Much💝love
There are deniers everywhere, how could they possibly believe and rationalize like they do. I don't blame you for feeling you could not in good conscience write as one. I would have to overexaggerate to feel like putting my name to one.
ReplyDelete"...{we poets) are the canaries (in) the cage …" allusion (??) struck my fancy. I feel for them.
Sorry you had to slow down in writing, I also am supposed to be on a self imposed Sabbatical.
Thank you for peeking in on me.
..
'The sad truth: when the cataclysm comes,
ReplyDeleteit will swallow believers and unbelievers just the same"
Amen to that sad truth.
But we poets are the canaries
ReplyDeletein the cage. Our job is
to sing the planet's song.... now I recognize this line from your comment...love the emptying of ocean with a spoon.. feels like that especially after the mad fireworks for Diwali here :(
Powerful. And inspires a rising personal power to scoop with that spoon, one goal at a time.
ReplyDeleteAfter perhaps nine year's lapse, I've wandered into your blog. And pleased I am to find you thriving.
ReplyDeletebest wishes
Harry Nicholson (reminder: author of Tom Fleck and friend of Viv Blake)