navwin » Archives » Open Poetry #41 » The Turtle's Shell
Open Poetry #41
Post A Reply Post New Topic The Turtle's Shell Go to Previous / Newer Topic Back to Topic List Go to Next / Older Topic
WindWalker
Senior Member
since 2001-10-12
Posts 1218


0 posted 2008-01-12 10:29 PM


Crashing monster boulders
may crack a turtle's hard shell,
but a constant daily onslaught
of bothersome sticks and 'pebbles'
doesn't appear to leave a dent.
Question: what happens though
if the turtle is overwhelmed
with the small stuff?
If she can’t crawl out from under it?

Planet Earth is like that turtle:
no great “earth changes”
are about to bring all to an end.
All the little things done each day
don’t seem to make much of a dent
in the hard shell of the planet –
but what of a “bog down” –
a complete social collapse?
What if, as a species we give in –
follow our fears, our hatred, our greed
and sink ourselves helpless?

Enter the final phase of destruction:
the enabling of the last holocaust
with weapons of mass destruction poised
over the last oil reserves;
vast armies crawling over mountains
to loot, pillage, rape and murder;
cities burning until the smoke
covers even the light of the sun
from pole to pole..

And who, when it is all over
shall record the events; the final story
of man’s aborted stay upon this world?
Who shall care even, or want to know
what happened that a so-called intelligent life
never heard the call for understanding
or heeded the simple challenge of compassion?

And the final eulogy for Man will still be
“From dust were ye made
and to dust hast thou returned.”

[This message has been edited by WindWalker (01-13-2008 11:08 AM).]

© Copyright 2008 Sharran WindWalker - All Rights Reserved
Marchmadness
Member Rara Avis
since 2007-09-16
Posts 9271
So. El Monte, California
1 posted 2008-01-13 01:00 AM


Your mind fascinates me Ww. I always search out your poems, knowing that I will learn something profound in the reading of them.
                                      Ida

Midnitesun
Deputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Empyrean
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647
Gaia
2 posted 2008-01-13 09:18 AM


"What if, as a species we give in –
follow our fears, our hatred, our greed
and sink ourselves helpless?"
Then we shall find ourselves on our backs,
turned over by some powerful opponent,
leaving us struggling to 'flip' for survival.
I fear we may already be...on our backs,
and sadly, we are our own opponent.
Yet each day we must search for the survivalist foothold.

secondhanddreampoet
Member Ascendant
since 2006-11-07
Posts 6394
a 'Universalist' !
3 posted 2008-01-13 09:33 AM


As is so typical of this fine author...

a thoughtful, powerfully thought-provoking,
timely and effective 'write!'

I am especially fond of:

"what happened that a so-called intelligent life
never heard the call for understanding
or heeded the simple challenge of compassion?"

most serious, long-sustained applause!!

JamesMichael
Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336
Kapolei, Hawaii, USA
4 posted 2008-01-13 03:56 PM


Nice thoughts...the fear factor has been overused on gullable Americans that take the weapons of mass destruction message and the global warming message and see the end of the world...the truth is we don't need to be so dependent on foreign oil and they don't need to be so dependent on our money...
was watching a program the other day, they were showing an electric car that can go 40 miles before requiring a charge, or before turning on the gasoline engine...
James

Earth Angel
Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215
Realms of Light
5 posted 2008-01-13 06:16 PM


A very effective analogy!

I always appreciate the thought you put into your pennings. They also inspire some of my own.

The closing stanza is ominous ~ and dispairingly plausible...

~ And the final eulogy for Man will still be
“From dust were ye made
and to dust hast thou returned.”

For the love of Gaia ~ and mankind,
EA

Post A Reply Post New Topic ⇧ top of page ⇧ Go to Previous / Newer Topic Back to Topic List Go to Next / Older Topic
All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format.
navwin » Archives » Open Poetry #41 » The Turtle's Shell

Passions in Poetry | pipTalk Home Page | Main Poetry Forums | 100 Best Poems

How to Join | Member's Area / Help | Private Library | Search | Contact Us | Login
Discussion | Tech Talk | Archives | Sanctuary