Image by ChatGPT
home world denied bees pleas forgotten folklore wonder strum fallow sigh sky
Fallow
The sky was clear,
A gentle wind blew—
Strumming the trees,
Rustling the grasses.
Bees, ants, and butterflies
Went about their business.
Birds flitted from tree to tree.
Animals grazed at ease—
The occasional disagreement
Over mates or territory
But calmly and normally.
◊
Man, as was his wont, denied
that the world, his home,
Was at risk of collapse.
Pleas for him to be aware
Went unacknowledged
And were quickly forgotten.
Eventually, man faded away.
The planet gave no sigh of regret.
He became the folklore of the herds,
Of the flocks and of the schools—
The inheritors of the wonders
That he could not see.
◊

Two contrasting feelings wonderfully conveyed - the buzz of life and the tiredness of life (it felt as I read) - may the bees and flowers always lift our souls - Jae
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Thank you Jae.
DeleteA sad scenario which I fear may be too true. (But perhaps those of us alive now won't find out.) Let us enjoy what we can while we have it!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, it's long been clear that your favourite kind of prompt is the wordle, and I'm always astounded at how adeptly you use each new variation.
I enjoy the challenge of the Wordle. I like to give the words room to move, to not squash them in together too tightly. I really should try to find some other prompts but I am in a routine where I mull over the Wordle and then go to a local cafe for a brunch and a write.
DeleteIf it's working so well for you, and you're still enjoying it, why change? I think your poetry is getting better and better, and ultimately the source doesn't matter as much as the result.
DeleteYes, indeed, planet Earth with its natural wonders would likely exist longer and be far better off without humankind's destructive inventions.
ReplyDeleteit is a beautiful place where harmony and peace exist ... what was, what is and what will be... not much has changed through the ages... social media is a constant camera we watch 24 /7 .... a beautiful poignant poem you have written
ReplyDeleteStrumming the trees, Rustling the grasses.beautiful and in stark contrast with the next stanza A very likely truth as humanity just continues the destruction
ReplyDeleteJuxtaposition of two different worlds of movement and stillness. It is extremely sad that we as human beings are not leaving anything constructive behind for the memories of posterity. It's a dreadful future or lack of future that we eventually have created for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThe last line was the most powerful, I thought. The. not seeing. If we truly saw, as does the poet, we could not possibly destroy it all. It's the nature of the seeing that seems to be the point here. Thank you for your work.
ReplyDeleteIt just cannot be helped but to meet life's challenges against humanity's destructive ways. Great use of the words, Cosmo!
ReplyDeleteHank
Excellent use of the prompt words! A sad, but not impossible future.
ReplyDelete