Not Poetry. Quatrain Verse in English & Swedish. Dagsverser. On the Mundane & the Arcane.
There’s no longer much stretch left
of our Species’ narrowing path
which, had we back then been deft,
could’ve used to brake the planet’s wrath
Instead we caused Earth to crumble
by our consumption willful
Recklessly kept up in rumble
our feigned ignorance skillful
Unwilling to restrain
we decided to downplay
Little time shall remain
until our Species’ doomsday
Our shuffling so far in dismal dance
assures that our Species stands no chance
There ain’t no society
among folks ‘hubristic’
it’s just a variety
of those ‘narcissistic’
Their ‘rugged individualism’
which they so me-firstly cherish
constitutes no defense mechanism
Unlike some others they’ll perish:
all alone, disaffected
ruggedly unconnected
On the passing of a friend
While of Life’s harshness wary
convivial our Mary
Her heartstrings of harp
her mind saber sharp
Met many like her? Nary!
If you insist go right ahead! Be my guest! Just don’t involve us!
Well, aren’t you persistent
it did happened in the past
may in future distant
But we would still be miscast!
For should it happen in the present
we’d rather stay unaffected!
Such a tiresome & irksome event
must out of hand be rejected!
We avoid things unnerving
enabling us to glide along
on our life path unswerving
no worry until our swan song
Until then we prefer rush headlong
heedlessly, unblushingly headstrong!
+)
-Sixth Mass Extinction = Over the last half-billion years, life on Earth has been nearly wiped out five times. It’s happening right now for the sixth time. Let’s give ourselves a big hand for so splendidly helping it along this time around!
Who would unprompted share
one’s fact-grounded opinions
let heart & mind laid bare
to cliché-spouting minions?
Would that not be to squander
what is for each quintessential
in a frivolous yonder
tangential to life essential?
Unless someone appears sincerely to ask
might we not prefer in a limelight to bask
If we want to get along
mouth only the mundane
and if we want to belong
stray not in the arcane!
Let others spout their opinion
and just pretend to listen
Act the sycophantic minion
smile, best if our eyes glisten
Avoid these words to get along:
‘ascetic’ & ‘poetic’
Apply in order to belong:
‘athletic’ & ‘cosmetic’
Voice only the prosaic
like ‘we get warm by burning coal’
avoid ‘photovoltaic’
Above all do not bare our soul!
Thus we’ll evade some risk & strife
but will we lead a worthwhile life?
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
I regularly pedal up a steep, narrow, winding, two-way, two-lane road occasionally ‘causing’ drivers to wait due to oncoming traffic before passing me. Judging from some cars ‘riding my rear fender’ & the rare occasional driver’s remark or gesture perhaps I’m viewed by some drivers as an annoying traffic impediment? Others may perhaps be capable of ‘feeling my pain’ (here in aging legs & lungs), while by most ignored? So goes our human experience at large.
One irate driver yelling
“You’re obstructing traffic!”
on mission Cyclist Quelling
then adds gesture graphic
While another in civil quirk
rather cheers my modest pace
by affably calling “Good work!”
with welcomed patience & grace
Thus the human clash goes
between those empathetic
and those in restless throes
sounding off homiletic
Of course up to anyone exposed
to try act safely & stay composed
‘Leaders’ now talk about the Covid-19 struggle as ‘war’. If so – a long overdue change from the gruesome practice throughout history of sending the very young out to fight & die. Fairer now when the old folks at home become the casualties. Still what remains the outrage is how ‘essential’ workers (many poorly paid with few benefits & poorly protected) are sent out to work & die.
In most wars the young
were sent out to perish
most often unsung
or cheered with praise garish
The old folks at home jingoistic
of soldiers horrors euphemistic
Now in the Covid ‘war’
with its surreptitious gore
Lady Justice keeps score
shredding such mythical lore
Now the young live for another day
while the old folks keep dying away
We grind in daily strife absurd
opaque our faith & locus
Reality banned, vision blurred
all jarringly out of focus
We’re distracted by games of fantasy
with noses on screens ubiquitous
sunken in political apathy
to power elite obsequious
As we woefully bray
behind foul a bellwether
aren’t we deserving prey
to perish all together?
While we’re presuming to be discreet
aren’t we’re all just cowering effete?