Cars hooted,
The traffic strangled itself.
And the machines hummed
And dug mines deeper
And built cities higher;
Forcing the trees to surrender.
And as they won the war
Against the planet,
Life itself retreated.
Streets filled with tormented souls,
Teeth-gnashing, drug ravaged effigies.
Where once aromas of clover and fig
Rose up from the grass
As you rambled past;
Now urine and faeces
Give your nose a harsh prick
As you pass on the unforgiving brick.
Oh Earth! Too weak to fight
The march of concrete and tar,
You had to enlist help from afar.
Your sun intensified her rays
Making ovens of clay
In those streets with no trees
For perfumed breeze
To cool and freshen.
Then winter sent ice to invade,
Freeze and crack
Those hearts of stone.
Torrential rains joined oceans,
Shattering levees,
Battering the safety
Of those cowered in their home.
And in the respite that follows each advance
Earth, you still give Man another chance
To re-think,
To embrace a new dream,
To be part of Your team.
By: Sharon Heaney Stansfield
READ MORE POEMS BY SHARON