Until the End of Days

When the last wild tree has fallen,
Concrete covered last bare earth,
When we've finally completed
Rape of the Mother Earth,
When the last bird has flown freely,
The last wild animal safely caged,
Will we be proud of the warfare
Against nature mankind has waged.
When the earth is one big city
With an outlook bare and bleak
Will we have finally achieved
The victory we seem to seek,
The natural world confined in
Glassed arboretum, in zoos
And nature is reduced to manicured
Manufactured sterile views,
When machines have pumped oxygen
Cleansing carbon oxides from the air,
Oceans been cleansed of the garbage
We had in the past thrown in there.
When global  warming is controlled
And the climate has settled down
Wondering if life will be of value
If, when looking around 
The only view is the buildings
Of  the one big sprawling town.
No more swinging swaying
Freely whispering trees
To accompany the birdsong
Drifting on a spring breeze.
Or a poignant scene
So hard to forget,
A skein of wild geese flying
Against an autumn sunset
Copyright © | Year Posted 2022

Poem

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Volumes Avatar
December 2, 2022 at 1:54 AM
Oh so true Terry. American Indians have a saying: When the last tree is cut down.. when the last river is poisoned ...When the last fish is caught.... Only then will man discover that he can't eat money. Your poem is wonderful Terry.
Ireland Avatar
December 2, 2022 at 3:11 AM
Thanks Wen. Im a child of 1940,s Yorkshire , where we had miles of fields to play in, 14 Farms to roam around, and orchards to borrow from. Every time I go back another meadow is under concrete, only 3 farms left, and it's now a rather upmarket place to live. that's just East Yorkshire, add to that the devastation of th eAmazon Rainforest and its hard not to despair.
Bauer Avatar
December 1, 2022 at 9:23 AM
wonderfully expressed, terry! leave it to humans to make the biggest mess of things...
Lawless Avatar
December 1, 2022 at 5:03 AM
..."soylent green is people".....A line from an old movie....
Ireland Avatar
December 2, 2022 at 3:12 AM
Thanks John - had to Google the Film - sounds very apt/ Terry
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