One for the road

There was a time when we loved the sun, 

counted  those unquenchable flames as one 

vast illumination lying deep in the impenetrable 

night; brooked no corruption of its beauty

as it gave life to the little blue dot we call home.

But things, as they do, change; 

we no longer decay serenely

and in the choking of the air, 

the dulling of stars,

hubris shows its withered hand;

and summer is no more the ripening grain,

the scent of apples kissed by sun warmed rain.

So, where do we go from here?

From the unholy precision of progress,

the slick complexity of motor cars;

of foible, fault and fields unsung,

of savage deed and desecrations done,

that chart the glacial shift and slide

that none can stop, yet none wish to abide. 

Well; 

perhaps we should be brave and call a thief 

a thief, accept our reign as mercifully brief.

For madness is our master now and where 

seeds fly and where they land, have none of 

grace or guidance from my hand;

nor when I speak can I hear my voice ring out,

o'er the winds of change that ever blow about.

Reviews

[Amanda Trerotola]

This is truly beautiful and unique. Loved reading it!

[Neville]

You have crafted something very special here Beccy... truly beautiful, but not only that, you have made the visitor to this page think and to think deeply........................Neville

[barleygirl]

I really love this! It's an amazingly fresh point of view on a topic that gets a ton of discussion these days. The way you paint the pictures is so romantic & also melancholy. The tone is one of desperation, as if something unspeakably beautiful is dimming before our eyes & we seem to be incapable of changing our destructive course! I do hope humans' reign is mercifully brief -- it would be a blessing if we wipe ourselves off the earth & let other creatures handle the planet from here on out. This is very powerfully stated (((HUGS))) fondly, Margie

[Jimmy Yetts]

Profound perception; eloquent and elegant portrayal.
Madness certainly is our master--and odious changes are being directed from Chaos Central.
Your stunning poetry reveals tragic truth!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i wish we were as advanced with our love for each other as we are with technology----we outsmart ourselves in the mind and in the heart...

alas...we are blown about by the winds...and the changes are in the wrong direction.
j.

[Lydia Shutter]

Winds of change....they are with us from the day we are born. Indeed, our reign is brief and we must accept that. Very emotional write, Beccy. Good one. Lydi**

[Paul Bell]

One thing guaranteed in life, is change. Good or bad.
It's going to hit you. Life really does flyby now.
Even in death, there doesn't seem to be any rest.

[Nigel Newman]

Oh my oh my. Delightful Beccy - quite sublime. Yes, we are temporary custodians. Like Great Aunt Astri I love 'of foible fault and fields unsung'. Funnily, I'd just come from seeing your feedback on my poem covering similar themes - at that point I was feeling quite balanced; but this feels real and sad.. We're approaching a precipice slightly faster than scientists can find new ways to delay it ... but with maniacs in Washington DC and North Korea we may not need to worry about that much longer ...

[Great Aunt Astri]

Lovely alliterations;- 'foible,fault and fields' and 'madness is our master' and 'grace and guidance'.
An enjoyable poem to read.

[Damien Ridge]

Was a pleasure to read this. Painted a lot of intense pictures in my mind and the flow of it made for an easy read. Good choice of words, I love the first stanza, it's quite amazing. Thanks for sharing, was great!