To be truly radical is to make hope possible
rather than despair convincing.
Raymond Williams
from This Crazy Time by Tzeporah Berman
This is a poet who struggles
to impart hope
while being all too aware that
we have passed the tipping point
and hard times lie ahead:
hotter temperatures, drought, wildfire,
hurricane-force storms, floods,
Siberian winters,
melting poles.
melting poles.
This is a poet who blogs for peace
while bombs fall everywhere
and fascism, hatred, and division
are on the rise.
This is a poet who sees democracy
on the brink of being lost, as
lies, misinformation and
worship of a demagogue
have turned a segment of the population
into unquestioning fanatics who
cannot be reasoned with.
See the blank look in their eyes;
hear the feverish words.
Be afraid for the future.
This is a poet who used to be
so positive it was annoying,
who now has too much information
to impart false hope, whose voice
must stay authentic, even when
(especially when) the news is not good.
This is a poet who tries hard to believe
that, one way or another, humanity
can still get it together, leaders can
lead with courage and integrity
and the world can come together
to face the climate crisis,
exercise diplomacy and social justice
exercise diplomacy and social justice
instead of war -
but deep down knows the trajectory
is much more likely
to go the other way.
This is a poet who wants
to believe the best,
who fears the worst,
whose hope is that
Mother Earth
will somehow survive
and teach whoever
is still here
how to live.
to believe the best,
who fears the worst,
whose hope is that
Mother Earth
will somehow survive
and teach whoever
is still here
how to live.
Sigh. When First Nations come together, the person holding the feather cannot be interrupted while speaking his truth. I felt the need of the feather this morning as I struggle with the world situation, finding it hard to find words of hope, much as I don't want to depress everyone. However, the noon news had some young people who recently spoke at a climate summit, who spoke very hopeful words about humans coming together to find positive solutions to all the challenges. And, as always, I stay grateful for my life and everything outside my window in this beautiful place on the planet.
I hear you, Sherry! It is so difficult not to be downhearted, no matter how much one tries. It really is so difficult most days.
ReplyDeleteI saw your comment on my poem, where you told me about this quote, Sherry. And I think just pointing out what is going wrong is still good and necessary and helpful- so many who have read my climate series have come back to me saying they didn't know some of the details. There is no need for false hope when what is required is urgent action and solid information. We are all thankful for the way you've championed the cause of the earth and now peace.
ReplyDelete(I'm not anonymous, I'm Priscilla King. Google is misbehaving.)
ReplyDeleteI never thought of Al Gore as a *demagogue*...but yes, that's the reaction I had to reading a reply to a comment on another "climate poem."
Whatever studies tell us about the last few years' weather, there is no real "climate science" that has enough data to prove or disprove long-term global "climate change."
There IS abundant data to prove recent local warming trends...if only a certain political party would admit that those were not, in fact, fixed by vague federal legislation and do, in fact, need to be reversed by local and individual action.
Curiously enough, working on local warming is the only way we can realistically hope to stop global warming. (Global government by the likes of Gore? Trump? SCHWAB? Not even funny. That would NOT help.)
Oh well. This *has* been Blue Monday, with a major cold front and an unholy alliance of virus-es thrown in. There will be more pleasant things to blog about tomorrow. I'm planning to try to post about dogs *and* butterflies.
I didnbt refer to Al Gore as a demagogue, Priscilla. Our best hope for climate action would have been had he been elected. I agree it likely has to come at the local level as those at the top care more about re-election than planetary survival. Thanks for your comment. This poem was almost too depressing to read. It was to write. But then I walked in the forest and that helped, as it always does.
ReplyDeleteI always appreciate your poems that ponder subjects no one mentions in 'polite society'.
ReplyDelete