OUR WORLD

Ours is a beautiful world

Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, oceans

Mountains, plains, meadows,

Forests, fauna, colors of all hues

Volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, rainbows

Sunrise, sunsets, night and day

Blue horizons, starry moonlit nights

Yes, there is so, so much more.

 

Over eons of time modern man arrived

Deeply imbedded primeval basic needs

All culminated in an instinct for survival

Which as tribes grew into larger societies

Necessitated organizational structures

Of skills, protections, leadership, command.

Eventually city states became countries

The strongest incorporating the weakest

Conquering, wars, slavery, annihilation

Our continuing story of modern times

Yet there is hope in the forming of many

Institutions seeking to reverse the trend

Working tirelessly, globally, having the

Fervent support of most humankind.

The net result of all the above

Is that we have ravished our planet

Polluted streams, rivers, lakes, oceans

Negatively affected our atmosphere

Used vast amounts of toxic chemicals

Defiled large underground mining areas

In short, mankind made a huge environmental mess;

Great efforts are underway to save our planet

From further deterioration, many nations agree

Specifics are still being debated,

Some nations disagree, understandably so,

Since we are still imbued with our primeval instincts.

Herbert Holzbauer
© September 2009

Midi: "Wonderful World"
(Charmer51.tripot.com)

Graphic: "Bering Sea Ice Expedition"
(April 12, 2006 - May 13, 2006)