The Amazon burns, things are far of hand,
too many world leaders well beyond their command,
our planet, this paradise, abundant with life is far
out of balance and cringing with strife; the elephants,
tigers and rhinos are game for the fat wealthy hunter
to target and maim, and the hands of the greedy
with grease in their palms are dictating the lives
of the simple and calm;
As we sit and observe, there is nothing but dread,
the visions explode in the heart and the head,
yet daydreams can change in the blink of an eye,
our minds are our own to redeem or deny;
a focus, when held, on the future we see,
can follow our hands as we nurture the tree
whose branches can hold all our dreams and our hopes,
yet we must take the actions our conscience invokes.
well said…
Thanks, Jim. Distressing, to say the least. Aloha🌺
let’s hope those Amazon fires end soon
Well, we can hope. But action is really needed. The word on the street from a Brazilian friend is that the fires are endorsed by the corrupt government so that the corporations can continue to harvest and plant. Harvest oil and plant fodder for beef.
Greed is going to win if we don’t advocate for sustainable solutions. Which is going to require a real shift in thinking that the consumerist model is at all desirable for any of us. I realize this is an enormous problem beyond the scope of my ability to even grasp it much less to grok solutions. Nevertheless, we continue growing much of our food and living as simply as we can.
🌸
if each person would do their part, like you, that ould go a long way towards solving the problem. It’s one of the reasons I became a vegan 13 years ago…
Been an ethical and literal vegetarian most of my life, but part of attuning to the earth is listening to the body. We work really hard, physically. There are times my body needs a ‘meat boost’ (fish or lamb is all i can stomach), but when this happens, the amount is tiny. And both are locally sourced. I know the (humane) rancher. I know the fisherman. The plates heaped high with meat to me are vulgar and disrespectful to earth’s creatures. So … there’s a long way to go yet for those who do not understand the impact. I have long discovered that the last thing people want to hear is someone telling them what to put in their mouths.
I learned a long-time ago that people are set in their ways, especially when it comes to what they eat. I have never tried to push my views on people, but I let them know that I am vegan and tell them if they have any questions, feel fre to ask. All I ask people to do is to simply think about what they are eating.
Our healthcare system would be far less overloaded, if they did. 🙏
I agree!
Well said Bela. And yes we need a real shift in our thinking if we are going to take care of the Earth and live sustainably into our future. Greed always seems to win though. Not sure what to do about that. 🙁
Me either Swarn, honestly. Only what we are urged to do by our own conscience. Apathy isn’t going to win the day. Good to see you here, btw. Missed your own posts! Aloha 🌺
Thanks Bela. Yeah it’s been an active summer. In addition to having two young ones to keep me busy, it feels like in the summer where I don’t have a set schedule I have harder time setting aside time for blogging. It’s easier to blog during my office hours, since no students come to visit me. lol
Haha, I’m sure the channels are open, should they wish to though.
I fully support family time if my girls were still young, I would still write, but wouldn’t spend nearly the time I do – which might amount to an hour a day – on wp or other social media. I need to be outside more than in. Enjoy your unstructured time as long as you can! 🤗
RIGHT ON!, Bela.
Mahalo, Sock! 🙏
It doesn’t even take that much action in some cases. Voting for instance. But there is strength in numbers, and apathy or resignation won’t do. (K)
AGREED. I think many are so overwhelmed by the problems of the day that they just slide into non-action and apathy. Not realizing how much that contributes to the problems we are facing. Thank you. 🙏🌸
Everyone is exhausted, no doubt about it.
No doubt. 🙏
Thank you for this Bela. 🙏
Mahalo, Val. 🙏💕
Thanks for compressing so much into one poem Bela – the apathy, the greed, the horror that has been unfolding around us… reminds me of William Wordsworth who could sense it decades ago : ” It grieves my heart to know,… what man has made of man.”
True words you relate here from Wordsworth. I’ve been gobbling up history the past few years, though as witnessed and relayed via common people ‘s stories instead of old rich white gentry paid to record it through their eyes. Fascinating stuff from all over the world. Been in Tasmania and Australia lately. And it’s the same throughout history, unfortunately. Men cannot leave well enough alone, they send the uneducated, hungry and/or ignorant masses to war over trivialities they couldn’t possibly care about and discard the wounded and disposessed after these horrific battles. These same men in power rape the environment to expand their fields, to feed a bottomless greed for the exotic and their warped imaginations and to subjugate others.
If we are to survive on this glorious globe, we need balance. Yin to balance yang, more women in places of influence and leadership, not just in the beds of powerful men. We need new models and actions that honor sustainability and sanity. Art back in culture. Hands back in soil instead of sterile agribusiness. We need to scale it back down to interdependent communities. This is what I think from where I sit. Yet I have no idea how this might be brought about in the larger world. It works well enough in island living, so models do exist. And humans are unendingly and fabulously creative. Great minds are working on problems as we speak, though funding is ever the issue. Which brings us back to greed. And so.
Thanks for your comments, Balroop. Always appreciated! Aloha 🙏💕
Did you see what they’ve just done in Ethiopia, Bela? 353,633,660 tree seedlings planted in twelve hours! H <3
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/29/ethiopia-plants-250m-trees-in-a-day-to-help-tackle-climate-crisis
YAY.
Amen to that, Bela.
Indeed! 😘
You are right Bela… Greed has overtaken, and other than protest, sign petitions and send our thoughts to those in power to say Stop! this madness,
Mankind seems to destroy everything it touches..
A powerful poem Bela.. much love my friend <3
Thanks, Sue. Love back! 💕
So many things going on in this world right now are devastating, disheartening, unbelievable…. Thank you for putting it into words, Bela. ❤️
Yes, for sure. I would gladly put down my pen if it all were not so. But it is. 😳