Tuesday 17 March 2020

Look Closely


I do not consider myself a poet as such but I occasionally feel the need to throw a few words together when something is playing on my mind. As usual it will be over written but I offer no apologies - it is the way I am.

Look Closely
Look closely at the sunrise
Its light and warm embrace,
Uplifting and full of hope
as it grows a brighter face.
Look closely at the sky
Azure blue and covering all,
A deep and serene calm,
That holds the earth in its thrall.
Look closely at the land,
Fecund earth and flora abound,
From the gentle sway of the field
To the forest acres found
Look closely at the sea
With waves foaming at the shore
Of hidden depths, of teaming life
Of tides flowing evermore
Look closely at the beasts,
At fin, feather, fur and scale
On plains, in forests or in the sky
With beak, tooth, claw and tail
Look closely at the people
Of different race, colour or creed
All trying to live, thrive and survive
United by design but divided by need.
But softly, take a closer look.
Look closer at the sunrise,
Remorseless, relentless, pitiless and supreme
Heats the planet more than ever
Like an apocalyptic dream
Look closer at the sky
Scarred daily and without care
As planes and demonic factories
Spew poisons in the air.
Look closer at the land
See the cracked and tortured earth
See ever shrinking forests with
Scant hope of rebirth
Look closer at the sea
Choking, dying by our hand
Oceans of plastic, of rubbish, of debris
Neither prepared for, nor planned
Look closer at the beasts,
Harried, hunted and full of fear
Thoughtless exploitation diminishes
Their numbers year by year
Look closer at the people
The haves and the have nots
Of disunity, disharmony, disorder,
Of intrigue and petty plots
But what can we do?
However painful it may seem
Or unusual it may feel
We must join in common cause
With global issues we must deal
Our planet is big enough for all
But is crying in silent pain
For far too long too few
Have been the ones that gain
The Giant corporations
Ensure that ‘That is mine!’
Monopolise ‘Their’ given space
To soothe their bottom line
Production, prices, profits all up
With scant regard of the cost
To people and the planet exploited
Then on the scrapheap tossed
Governments use high words
To justify their aim,
Then cover truths with disinformation
Thus removing them from blame
The homeless person, the refugee,
The stateless and alone,
All are the same under the skin
As a ruler on a throne
We should relearn to care
And we should relearn to share
There is a world aplenty
All should enjoy whilst being fair
To Leaders in business
And in politics to
Words are no longer enough
Just go ahead and do
Set aside all petty squabbles
Think not of them and us
Forge a global collective spirit
Of humanity, simple, without fuss
Big things have small beginnings
A journey starts with a single step
If we each change just a little
Then progress we can accept
Think not of me and I
Instead look to us as one
Join together in common cause
To make sure that journey has begun
We are all in this together
From the humble to the high
We must look, listen and act
Before too late, time passes by

David Crook

6 comments:

Robert (Bob) Cordery said...

David,

A very good choice and very apposite for the current situation we find ourselves in.

Keep safe and keep well,

Bob

David Crook said...

Thank you Bob.

All the best,

DC

Archduke Piccolo said...

We are of similar socio-political minds, you and I, David. Though, where you drive to the heart of the matter, when I choose to versify, I tend to more lightweight topics... Or satire:

If the vote comes down to Trump versus Biden
Watch the socio-political gap widen
and the mask from realpolitik start slidin'
and for the Deep State there'll be no more hidin'.

nundanket said...

Hear hear!

David Crook said...

Many thanks nundanket!

David Crook said...

Hi Archduke,

I make no pretence at being a poet as such but occasionally I am stirred to write about things that seem to trouble me at a deep level. I find it to be quite a cathartic experience in many ways. Satire would be good - your couplet did raise a smile - but, and at the risk of sounding ‘precious’ (which I am most certainly not!) , I would really have to be in the right frame of mind for it to be effective.

I felt better for writing it which I guess was the object of the exercise - to get things off my chest.

All the best,

DC