DELIBERATE

With malice aforethought
I'm not launching a dreadnought.
This poetic ship
this ship of words
is made for sail.
At the mercy of the winds
the whims of mother earth shall prevail.
A hurricane of sirens arrives
and picks up the debris
of wasted lives.
Mother earth
has sustained much tragedy
and much abuse
and has no further use
for our abortive human experiment.
Great intelligence is no tonic
when doing the bidding
of the greedy and moronic.
Fierce winds
will buffet this ship of poem
for we have defiled
our earthly home.
Is there still time
to sail away?
The gods say
"No, this is the judgment day
and even the innocent shall pay."
We have reached
the point of no return
as our cities drown
and forests burn.
Is there still hope to fly away
and sail the sea of space
perhaps to save this human race?
Perhaps
but there would be no coming home
and we would trade sweet earth
for living hell.
Our best efforts now seem
too little and too late
to forestall the consequences
so we must accept our fate.
There is no soothing psalm
no saving grace
we have done wrong.
Our stupidity knows no limit
because our actions have been
greedy, destructive and
deliberate.

©Copyright January 20, 2006 by John-Ward Leighton

This poem prompted the response, Deliberate (Doodle Thought Poetry)
©Copyright January 20, 2006 by Billy Willbond