Saturday, 15 May 2021

Humanity in Times of Crisis - A Poem


The footsteps of a homeless man ring loudly on  empty streets,

Even as  all humanity retreats in fear, to its homes,

 Deserted shops and malls, restaurants and bars, bear a haunted look!

Once bustling cities and towns fall finally silent.

 

The wailing sirens of  ambulance rent the air

Carrying lone passengers gasping for a breath of fresh air.

Once proud and boastful about health and wealth, now brought

Down in one fell swoop, bragging turned into whimpers!

 

Cowering before a scourge of tiny organisms, proud mankind

Before a pestilence bows its head! If only a lesson of some kind

He would learn, Alas! His lessons he soon forgets. To destroy

Nature be his want, as he pollutes his water and poisons the air.

 

The once crystal clear stream now muddied does flow,

The once scented sweet air now pungent does blow!

The greedy profit as bottled water and canned air are sold.

Foolish man, to have preferred the bottle and the can over the real.

 

The hiss of air and beep of monitors sound loudly in the room

Where he lies gasping for breath, lonely and helpless in the room,

Son and daughter refusing to come, lest they from him, catch the bug.

Self protection and greed rule their lives till it cost one so dear.

 

So all now wear face masks and stay at home, those who partied late

At night, refusing a hug, embrace or shaking of hands, wiser of late,

But, alas, a bit too late. Those that of health and wealth did boast,

Now, before a pestilence cower and quake, sporting a smile so grim.

 

And as humanity settles into its new normal, staying

At home, waving greetings from far instead of shaking

Hands, pollution levels drop, trees turn greener and birds

Chirrup as nature celebrates life. Oh! The harm we did to Nature.

 

A greater pandemic before mankind is the pandemic of insensitivity,

The pestilence of arrogance and the illness of egotistical greedy

Minds. Unfortunately, has man fallen prey to divisiveness and

Deviousness, letting a pestilence rampage a world of possibilities.

 

The world is now a lonely place, each one in silence suffering the

Grief of loss. And sad eyes greet one another, each carrying the

Guilt of shame. A stitch in time would have saved a dozen,

But very little did they heed the advice of the wise!



 


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