David Kavanagh Poet Rhyme

Notes About The Poem

Laws of Physics and Humanity Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Dilly Dally  01/28/25 

 

Humanity

Humanity 

The pagan pilgrimage, sun-worshippers frequently make
Latter-day phenomenon, take off on a Bronze Age break
Constellations change position, solstices realign
Tropic of Capricorn peaks, Cancer starts its slow decline

Astrologers reassure us, the end is not bespoke
Astronomers can’t sleep, has a supernova awoke?
Healthy cells deconstruct inexorably from their core
Runaway chain reactions, laying waste forever more

Be that as it must, cosmic cataclysms generate thrust
Comets are slightly nudged, on a collision course with us?
Ancients believed them omens, wraiths of impending slaughter
Those billion ton tailed curveballs, catalysed Earth with water

Modern man searches for answers, drowning in misnomers
Melding PhD honours, with chatbot E-diplomas
Teleporting entangled particles, throws back a hack
Time travelling marvel, rewinds the real Bronze Age back?

Absurdness seems lame, yet concomitantly germane
Hawking conserved energy, by merely using his brain
Newton had a bachelors, kept him celibate stable
He’d balls of steel for sure, alas no bearings on that cradle?

Information cannot be destroyed, only zeitgeists can
Synthesised is truth, in the malleable hands of man
Life’s more delicate, gravitas hidden behind a smile
Like tales that flightless birds, buried heads in denial

Ostriches evolved kick-ass legs, and win the biped race
They dig shallow pits in sand, not complex black holes in space
One squawked this revelation before zooming off to die:
“Humankind’s the sole species, with good reason to ask why”?

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Benjamin Bartley February 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM Love the ending. Thanks for sharing. I have a lot of catching up to do. David Kavanagh February 21, 2025 at 2:48 AM Thanks Benjamin I needed a good line to wrap up this piece, the ostrich was needed to make sense of Humanity, because I struggle truth be told, cheers David

Ink Empress February 1, 2025 at 11:33 PM What a most scientific approach to the prompt, i love how you’ve mentioned so many astronomical terms and phenomenons and apparently according to the stars my new year starts on march hah! Dear david, this made me pause and think and i love how you’ve mentioned the shift in constellations too right now and also as it is pagan holidays now, i found the opening very intriguing. The last lines too gives a very philosophical touch to your deep poem, its so well articulated and phrased and only some that could think as deep can comprehend! I think iv grasped alot. Pleasure reading this gem! Congratulations on your well deserved trophy win! Sending you light always David Kavanagh February 2, 2025 at 2:34 AM I think you have shone a light on much of my poem with your insightful comment Ink, the opening sets the pace between constellations, pagan worship, with a reference to the practice of modern day sunbathing, and also AI reliance by some people, of course the poem takes a few reads to try grasp, but that’s just my style, as indeed you have your own inimitable style for keeping the reader spellbound with beautiful metaphor and language, thank you so much, I’m delighted with the win, cheers David

thriveni c mysore February 1, 2025 at 11:19 PM 'gravity' levitates here! amazing write, profound. Congratulations on your win dear poet. cheers!!! David Kavanagh February 2, 2025 at 2:19 AM Heya Thriveni, your comment is very kind and much appreciated, I do love a contest that levitates the writer to think outside the box, cheers David

Unseeking Seeker February 1, 2025 at 9:52 PM Deep musings here, interlaced with sharp wit, David. Warmest congratulations on your trophy win. David Kavanagh February 2, 2025 at 2:15 AM Thank you Seeker, was a great contest prompt, right up my street, this one says equally as much about how I view humanity as the laws of physics, cheers David

Suzette Richards February 1, 2025 at 2:46 PM Congratulations on your trophy win, David. There is much to ponder and I suspect that you held back and could have written a more detailed exposé regarding human foibles. Your closing line is very apt - why, indeed? FAVing this. David Kavanagh February 1, 2025 at 3:19 PM You are very kind Suzette, and indeed I could have written a lot more on humanity’s forte’s and foibles, I put many layers into this one, I believe you found quite a few to give me a fave, which I sincerely thank you for, cheers David

I Am Anaya February 1, 2025 at 2:40 PM @#$%&0 ! You stole the trophy! I would've been 2nd!! Now I have to shout at Ink, lol. Happy to have made the list..:D oh, "Absurdness seems lame, yet concomitantly germane" hugh? I Am Anaya February 1, 2025 at 10:09 PM Warmest congratulations! David Kavanagh February 1, 2025 at 3:08 PM Hey Anaya, The great man himself (Homer Simpson) once said, Just because I don’t care doesn’t mean I don’t understand) Absurdness seems lame yet concomitantly germane) delve a little deeper into that line and the duality of my poem and humanity should become apparent, i’m absolutely delighted with the win in Dilly’s contest, did I steal the trophy or the show, I dont care I’m not giving it back ;)

Daniel Henry Rodgers January 29, 2025 at 5:08 AM Hello David, Welcome Back! I have always enjoyed reading an intellectual write and your piece is such a mesmerizing dance of intellect and wonder. I thought what a true poetic philosophy of cosmic musings, human frailty, and timeless questions. David, your wit and depth left a lasting impression with me. Some of your insights show why the universe is not eternal. I love when a poem leaves me pondering. Winter Blessings, My Friend, Daniel David Kavanagh January 29, 2025 at 6:28 AM Thank you Daniel for such a comprehensive and worldly critique of my humanity poem, I struggled between free verse and rhyme on this one, in the end option for rhyme, I think it offered me more wriggle room for philosophical edginess, and ironic humour, is the universe eternal? probably not in the human corporeal sense but our consciousness I believe is intrinsically linked to eternity, I must stop by and check out your latest work, cheers David

Tom Cunningham January 29, 2025 at 2:43 AM Welcome back David, plenty layers to think about in this one. You never disappoint the reader. Hope you're keeping well. Tom David Kavanagh January 29, 2025 at 4:34 AM Thanks so much Tom, just tiptoeing back into the soup for now, I’m trying to negotiate my way around humanity and the laws of physics here, whilst giving the reader something to ponder, hopefully they will see beyond the absurdities and find deeper meaning, personally I’m doing ok, and I wish you good health going forward! Cheers David

Lin Lane January 28, 2025 at 8:32 AM Ye gads, David! If this is what you write after taking a break.... nah. I'm not going to ever suggest you take a break from writing and sharing your thoughts with us. You've entered a prodigious write for the contest and I'm sure it will be recognized by Dilly as a winning entry. Welcome back, kind friend. David Kavanagh January 28, 2025 at 9:13 AM Heya Lin, I’m delighted to be back even if only tentatively for now, the break took longer than I thought, but needs must be met, I put a lot of layers into this one, perhaps to reflect the infinite layers of humanity, I’m delighted you took the time to read this one and found it prodigious, probably needs a few reads for it to reveal itself in its entirety lol, cheers David

Paula Goldsmith January 28, 2025 at 8:25 AM I enjoyed reading your wonderful/powerful "Humanity" write. Life has many questions, sometimes with few answers. I like how you used the Ostriches. "Good Luck" Looks like we both did this contest. Have a fun day as you write away.................. David Kavanagh January 28, 2025 at 8:54 AM Thank you Paula, I’m out of the loop on the soup, will try catch up with everyone over the weeks ahead, maybe the ostrich revelation is oxymoronically the answer :) cheers David

Maureen McGreavy Pigeon Tart January 28, 2025 at 6:19 AM Brilliantly penned, and I absolutely adore the ostrich at the end. Wonderful to read you this morning! My best to you in the contest, and well in general, my best to you. xomo! David Kavanagh January 28, 2025 at 8:49 AM I’ll send mine north, over the pole, no stopover in Greenland lol! Maureen McGreavy Pigeon Tart January 28, 2025 at 6:49 AM Sending hugs, aiming east as we type… David Kavanagh January 28, 2025 at 6:31 AM Heya Super Mo, thanks so much for wonderful comment, that ostrich kicks ass for sure lol, I’ve been playing around with this one on and off, quite a lot of (layers) :) I’m trying to find my way back onto the soup, last couple of months have been a struggle, hope you are in good health, cheers David