In this world newfangled
the roots of inequality
run deep, twisted, tangled
enmeshed in frivolity
Kept the hope of the poor stifled
while by the powerful rifled
Not Poetry. Quatrain Verse in English & Swedish. Dagsverser. On the Mundane & the Arcane.
In this world newfangled
the roots of inequality
run deep, twisted, tangled
enmeshed in frivolity
Kept the hope of the poor stifled
while by the powerful rifled
Amidst proficiency flagging
easy slide in to anxiety
that shall blindly keep on nagging
in profligacy & piety
But able to write
albeit found as trite
blessed daily rite
Don’t worry won’t recite
while I’ve no urge to abscond
to write righteous rhymes Beyond
Vad andra kallar ‘konstig’
kallar kon ‘vardaglig’
Sin branta, smala kostig
känns, vem vet, behaglig?
När åsikter går isär
uppstår det, av å till, besvär
Lätt att göra nån förnär
så det gnager, kanske förtär
Ibland trots över blott en chimär
för det med sej långvarig misär
A bike dealer who mentions global warming may indeed be guilty of the same self serving cheap promotion as the car dealership, which flies an over sized American flag or the politician who presumes to speak for ‘all hardworking folks’.
Be this as it may, the earth is “on the verge of disastrous climate changes that spiral dynamically out of humanity’s control, causing mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises.”
James Hansen, the chief climate scientist at NASA, returned to Capitol Hill in June, on the twentieth anniversary of his 1988 testimony, to indeed warn that the earth is on the verge of “disastrous climate changes that spiral dynamically out of humanity’s control,” causing “mass extinction, ecosystem collapse and dramatic sea level rises.”
Obviously no amount of bicycling shall reverse or by itself significantly slow the spiraling.
Nothing shall. Short of perhaps radical life style changes right now, which clearly ain’t happening.
But for all its horror I’d personally rather know than living in denial of my own betrayal of future generations. Being only one of some 7 billions humans cannot lessen my complicity. I have sadly done nothing beyond mildly inconveniencing myself regarding arguably the greatest calamity that can possibly face life on planet Earth.
Q: “Why are you not putting on a mask?”
A: “I’m not culpable for your health
I’m self-reliant, so do not ask
also won’t be blamed for my wealth!”
If this is how some of us are
how did we stray so deep & far?
Q: “Still thinking we’re better than this?”
A: “We’re no effete Swedes or feeble French
so, World, come give U.S. a kiss!”
(albeit amidst conceited stench)
Thus we keep up the narrative:
Pretending to empathize
high-handed & declarative
averting our empty eyes
Masklessness leaves the Covid threat cowardly vague
while masked have we not faced that we’re all in a plague?
In my erstwhile fast life bested
was constantly contested
Decades since my life crested
still feel oddly untested
As path ahead darkens congested
the present by my past infested
Armored in dressed-for-success clothes
limbering our lashing tongue
cleansed out our bargain-sniffing nose:
Ready reach for the next rung!
Sharpened our elbows
we’re ready to impose
if need be bulldoze
in order to foreclose
Brashly we sally, again, out the door
never mind still clueless of what’s the score
Länge sen sjöng med i refräng
i senaste trudelutt
eller över nån ny mojäng
tog ett rejält glädjeskutt
Tar nu helst en tupplur
Frestas inte av reklam
eller kändiskultur
släppt fri från deras björnkram
Fast sneglar nån gång på en nätt figur
Blir man nånsin uttråkad av skulptur?
Levt tills snurrig gubbstrutt
irrar förvirrad, slutkörd
varje ljud för högljutt
trots att ha blivit lomhörd
Mens makan en elegant äldre tant
som vet sej va helt oumbärlig
och när håller sej på sin egen kant
blir hon inte alltför besvärlig
Men om ej för omsorg av hustrun
hade han gått vilse i farstun
Mens Naturens fågelkvitter
avtar, beskärmar jag mej
från rastlöst oljud på Twitter
i dess snärjiga ståhej
Varför söker vi besitta
det som oss ofta fjärmar?
Låter vi oss ej försitta
av vad som bortom skärmar?
Hur kan vi gitta
att föredra fnitter
när själar vittra?
Lätt känna sej bitter
Varför sej huka på nätet avskuren
från fågelkvitter i stilla Naturen?