For the (fictional) series, "Edges"
Her Voice
Doom Sayer
If, in a moment of clarity, coupled with hope
Her Voice
Doom Sayer
If, in a moment of clarity, coupled with hope
and added daring, I find my voice, and if
it's the true one, wrenched from deep –
what a royal dressing-down I might give
the recalcitrant world, en masse,
for its peccadillos and foibles ... its crimes.
They seem so innocent, yet little by little
that thread becomes a rope we hoist
with a noose on the end. (Oh, yes, we know
"joy is fleeting" but this is ridiculous.)
We dangle it over a branch for ourselves
and many others. Cunning suicides, we foil
those who would be rescuers ... that is,
collectively we do, though some of us still loiter
by the silent spring and wring our hands
and shout: "That goitre was unnecessary.
That cancer had a cause, don't you see?
You could have avoided that lingering death!"
We could have. But the clock ticks; voices raised
go unheard or dismissed. That kick to the groin
or the guts has got you, man. Die now!
Note: "The Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson was probably the first book to warn of the terrible damage we were doing to our environment even back then, when it was first published, in 1962 – at any rate, the first voice that was widely heard.
(Though in the voice of one of the fictional characters in this series of poems – which differs from my own voice – still, fictions have elements of truth and this one comes nearest, so far, to being autobiographical.)
(Though in the voice of one of the fictional characters in this series of poems – which differs from my own voice – still, fictions have elements of truth and this one comes nearest, so far, to being autobiographical.)
Written a bit late for Poets United's Midweek Motif ~ Voice; I'm sharing it instead at Poetry Pantry #392
A moment of clarity, coupled with hope...........well said, Rosemary. I simply can't believe, after all these years of Knowing, that things have gotten worse, not better. Humans are slow learners.
ReplyDeleteIndeed the clock is ticking & those voices that are raised have been given the attention they deserved. May this change soon, very soon, before it is too late.
ReplyDeleteThe clock is ticking and we cannot stop that. We can try at least do something worthwhile until it eventually stops.
ReplyDeleteSo nicely written... timely, urgent...is it too late already to fix our earth?
ReplyDeleteI think we must still try to do whatever we can. It may be too late – but if we do nothing it definitely will be.
DeleteIndeed the clock is ticking and with every passing hour, minute and second the world is drenched in deeper shit. I like and agree '"That goitre was unnecessary" .. perhaps we can still avoid further chaos and damage.
ReplyDeleteSee my replies to totomai and Thotpurge
DeleteI am so ashamed of my human race for constantly ignoring the warning signs year after year. I too read Silent Spring and have been an ardent advocate of conservation and protection of our environment yet seen all that shrugged aside with greed and waste and lack of education in the harm we are constantly doing to our planet particularly by our governments that see no further that buttering up the rapers and wasters and purposely blind destroyers of our planet.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the planet will eventually recover from us, once we are gone.
DeleteSadly too true. Though recent events have made me have a little more hope in the youth to finally get right what my generation could not.
ReplyDeleteand yet there are still those that said global climate change is not real...
ReplyDeleteWe must and can still do our part to make it a slightly better world.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree.
DeleteEveryone has an agenda - hence the differences in how, when and why some choose to line the pockets - but it's just a crime - because we are rooted to this planet - and have not payed enough time, attention, care and love - offering back more than we take. The bees die - we die. The planet swallows its tail - we die. It will outlast us AND recover - it has the divine, infinite mystery and possibility in intelligence to do so - we don't. But we will leave it marked and scarred.
ReplyDeleteGreat and very powerfully voiced poem Rosemary - I really could feel the strength building and hear the voice rising.
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ReplyDeleteA beautifully-written prophetic cry, Rosemary! If only we would listen...
ReplyDeleteI agree, Frank!
DeleteThis has so much punch! Well done.
ReplyDeleteHard to know, hard to understand...and why aren't we given more choices? A thoughtful write.
ReplyDeleteIt seems we are both thinking about finding our voices....I cry for humanity and the earth. A wonderful book I am reading now is, Braiding Sweetgrass, by a Native American professor of environmental science. It is the perfect complement to Carson's book and from a native peoples' perspective too.
ReplyDeleteI'm hopeful still... sometimes we forget the things we have solved when pushed to the edge. The ozone layers is healing and the air is cleaner... waters too... there is so much evidence of what we can do... maybe it takes a disaster for people to change their mind. I also remember Georg Borgström whom I met as a colleague of my father... some of the things he said are still valid, and it frightened me as a kid.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bjorn, for this reminder of what has ben achieved.
DeleteIts not too late. Once the dawn is lightened to day
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday Rosemary
Much💖love
Powerful!
ReplyDeleteZQ
This is so touching. I hope we all find our voices and scream if we must.
ReplyDeleteStunning ... a haunting poem.
ReplyDelete' They seem so innocent, yet little by little
that thread becomes a rope we hoist
with a noose on the end.' - an incredible - impactful - line of poetry.
Brilliant writing ... an important piece.
There are far too many who rationalize what they do by saying, "By the time that happens, I won't be here anymore, so why should I care?" That kind of attitude is a solid brick wall to righting whatever we can. We have definitely failed at the chore of "Home" care and maintenance.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
Although the situation is dire, I still have hope that our voices and actions will make the world better. I know many people who feel the same way, people who do things to help the earyh, feed the animals, make habitats for wild animals and insects, who recycle evrything, people who talk, vote, write, all the things we humans can do. I am taking a beekeeping coursr, I maintain habitats for birds, rodents, insects, mammals....I do what I can to enrich the esrth. I am not the only one. We may be a minority Rosemary but we are dmart, savvy, concerned, active, and have a voice. Have hope. Do not despair.
ReplyDeleteThe "voice" in this series is often darker than my own. I haven't given up, although this poem speaks doom. (However, the situation is indeed dire.)
Delete