My Thoughts On "destruction"
Whene'er I look at Thomas Cole's
"The Course of Empire" set,
I always pause and double take
A painting worth my fret.
Of course, it's not "The Savage State",
And it's not "Arcadian";
The one that scares me most of all's
Known only as "Destruction".
"Destruction" is a rightful name
For what is taking place;
It sends a shiver down my spine,
What this design conveys.
The ivory Colossus stands,
But not aesthetically;
The head is lying on the ground
Below Colossus' feet.
The bridge that carried big parades
Is sinking in the bay;
The makeshift bridge of tarp and rope
Is slowly giving way.
A cloud of smoke conceals the sky
And hovers overhead;
The sun cannot be seen for miles
And still still, it isn't dead.
The enemies are taking all,
From markets, homes, and lives;
They plunder, pillage, rape, and kill
Whatever stops their eyes.
The agony of being changed
Into a line of ruins,
It must be hard for some to grasp,
But not for me.
Maybe I'm just cynical,
Maybe I'm a nut;
Call me crazy if you will,
Insane, or just somewhat.
But really, can you blame me if
I find this picture frightening?
I know it's just a canvas in
A frame under a cheap lighting.
I cannot help but think that we're
Inside the "Consummation" state;
With drunkenness and merriment,
I fear that this will be our fate.
With celebrated heroes carved
From mortar, marble, bronze, and stone,
We're letting our awareness down,
Ignoring all that should be done.
I don't know when the time will come;
This frightens me the most;
They'll say "Sic transit gloria mundi"
As we become a ghost.
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