Oh my children, born into a world of opposites; dividing lines. The horizon, like the wild words of dictators, stomps parapets and, uneasy, leaves drift by them from tree to ground expecting scorn. Seeds rear bruised heads through soil’s ceiling awaiting crazed weather’s cruel whip. Invisible clouds, our human waste, hug tight Earth’s sphere; suffocating snug. I am sorry, my sweet children... we have not been more enlightened.
A “Gasa” (a Korean form) written for sanaarizvi’s dVerse Poetics Prompt
“I am sorry, my sweet children…
we have not been more enlightened.”
I don’t think I’ve read anything that could be more true. I love how you convey how decrepit the world has become with corruption and climate change. How heartbreaking. It’s like the world continues to get worse and there’s little we can do to stop it. Kind of like what happened with the fall of the Roman empire–then soon a plateau in innovation, creation, and creativity in the dark ages/early middle ages.
Beautifully and evocatively penned, as always, Worms! It’s a pleasure to read your work especially with how it is germane to society and our current times. ❤
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Thank you, Lucy. I wrote from the heart. I am so glad it resonated with you.
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This is a great poem of prophetic worthiness! Well done.
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Many thanks!
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You are welcome!
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This is incredibly potent! A stark portrayal of the reality of our world. Especially resonate with; “Seeds rear bruised heads through soil’s ceiling awaiting crazed weather’s cruel whip.” Thank you so much for writing to the prompt. 💝💝
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Thank you for a very interesting prompt. I hadn’t really investigated Korean literature at all ever. And thank you also for your lovely comment. 🙂
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You’re most most welcome! 💝💝
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but hopefully they are emlightened, even if you have had to learn it.
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I guess what worries me is… is it too late? Have we already ruined this Earth beyond saving?
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I suspect it’ll take a while for us to become extinct, but things will certainly be different. We’ve been changing the climate gradually since the Industrial Revolution and it’s not just a binary switch..
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Well a lot of scientists are suggesting we haven’t got much time to get our act together. And a lot of powerful people are doing their best to hold us back. In this country, the ruling party values science about as highly as wet farts.
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You and I will see this differently but I think the time to act has been and gone.
Take a look around you. Seeing what you see, and also seeing the public selecting leaders who are unwilling to do something about it, it begs the question, “At what point will we decide that action is imperative?” I would suggest to you that the answer to that question is “never”. Our course is already set, we are enjoying this ride as spectators only.
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Gosh. How depressing. I suddenly feel my perspective is quite cheerful. In any case, even if I agreed with you (and the reason I don’t is that money drives business and more and more the renewable resources make more financial sense. And it’s business that drives economies and economies that motivate this generation of governments) I would fight it because I love my kids and want the bestfor them and there’s no way in hell I will sit back and wipe my hands of their futures. I will be dead before it gets really bad. Ideally I would like them to feel like they can choose to have kids if they want to.
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I don’t think “wishing for the best” and “expecting the worst” are necessarily incompatible.
You know what the fossil fuel companies are drilling now? Well, they have twice as much in reserve. You don’t think they’re going to let that go, do you? Just roll over? That’s where the money is.
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You can’t sell something if you don’t have customers. And investors are changing direction. Anyway, you’re welcome to your opinion. If you have the convenience of not having to care, I envy you. But I do care very deeply and I find it very distressing. I am not convinced that your truth is any more valid than mine so do you mind if we leave it at that? I have said before I am not good at arguing and I don’t enjoy it. I also have sufficient stress at the moment to keep me quite busy.
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and yes, I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. With young children you have to be optimistic. I would have said the same 20 years ago, but I’m more cynical now.
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oh and I do hink we have the power to alter our speed, just not our course.
Chine says it will not even reach *the peak* of its CO2 emissions for another 5-10 years.
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And I am not concerned about extinction… not for my kids. Just about life being way way way harder for them than it was for me.
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one powerful poem; the pain comes through —
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Thanks, John.
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I like how the parent apologizes to the children for the shortcomings. This is a truly sad poem as it appears there is nothing to be done at this point.
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😞 Worms 😞
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Oh gosh, this poem touched me deeply. What a terrible world this is right now.
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Thank you Suzanne. Yes, the world does largely seem awful. Today it was a slice of tomato that best expressed my grief. The holes looked like two sad eyes and a howling mouth.
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Oh dear. I hope you are ok in lockdown in Canberra. Take care. ❤
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Thanks Suzanne. The weather is glorious, we are lucky to have two children who are excellent friends. And each day we revel in our hour of exercise time with the dog. But a few things happened today which really knocked me off balance. Just bad luck them happening together. Nothing terrible. Thank you for your concern. 💕
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Very Orwellian and hauntingly written. We have to stay positive. Keep believing things can change and they will. Keep the faith or whatever it is that floats your boat. We have to do this for our children’s sake. Think of the things this planet has lived through, and still survived. If we’d wrung our hands and given up a long time ago, we’d still be living in the middle ages!
We have to keep hope, otherwise there is nothing.👍🧡
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I don’t want to just hope. I choose electric cars, solar panels on our roof, trying (and largely failing) to eat less meat, trying to consume less once-only use plastic, thinking about food miles when I shop, buying second hand where possible… So yes, hope is critical. But I try to be pro active too. And I have tried to get involved in groups who push our govt to do more. I find it very uncomfortable, the sorts of things they want me to do, but I have tried. But thank you, Hobbo. I appreciate your words.
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I agree 100% that hope has to be combined with action. Drop by tiny drop, we will fill that ocean! 👍👏
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Bravo!
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So powerful – words fail me.
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💕
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“and, uneasy, leaves drift by them
from tree to ground expecting scorn.”
So touching and haunting. This resonated deeply.
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Thank you. I am glad you liked that line. It was the one I was the least sure had worked.
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Beautiful lament 💜
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Thank you. 🙏
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This will be one of the most thought-provoking kasa poems I will read, I am certain. The depth, the message, the emotion ~ unbelievably strong.
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Thank you, Helen. I am deeply troubled for the future of my children.
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We are not leaving a better world to our children…. and we have known for such a long time how much is wrong.
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