Reflections on Life

For the Easter campaign by Post mit Herz I was looking through my papers for a poem.
I found one that I wrote on April 20, 2010, and I think that almost exactly 15 years later, it still fits.

Reflections on Life
 
Living, loving, laughing
and a thousand other lovely things,
all of that is ours to do on Earth.
But when we look at
how little we really respect
nature. What will come of this?
 
Forests are being cut down for things nobody needs.
Water, our most precious resource, is simply being wasted.
Smokestacks pouring out dreadful smoke.
No one seems to find the courage to do something so the tide can still turn.
 
We produce waste in masses,
blow exhaust fumes into the air.
Someday we won’t be able to believe
that everything around us is vanishing into thin air.
 
What was it like when a little deer leapt,
when a bird sang early in the morning?
When nature, tender and green, awakened
after winter’s cold power.
 
Someday everything will be only gray.
The children will no longer play.
There will be no fox left in its den,
no fish left in the lifeless sea.
 
We humans must wake up soon,
or else it will be too late forever.
Then there’ll be no loving, no laughing on Earth,
because the Earth will no longer exist.
M.B.2010

What do you think about it?

I’m afraid this will still ring true in 15 years.

Warm regards
Irene

That’s so beautifully written, and yet it’s sad that everything is going down the drain like that.

This poem is always fitting—timeless.

Hugs, Andrea

The Earth will survive. Nature will recover. But without humans.

Dear Marlies, your poem really touches my heart and moves me deeply.

Yes, we need to be more mindful of nature and need to be reminded of this again and again—including through your poem. It’s best to always start with ourselves. We’re now meeting many people who are thinking along these same lines and have made many changes in their lives.

Warm regards,
Monika

It’s frightening that we’ve known this for so long and yet nothing has changed.

Yes, the Earth will recover eventually and will keep turning. But what will happen to its inhabitants? 

It’s up to us to change certain things.

Some things may be harder than others—but no one should say that they can’t at least make a small contribution.

Yes, this will mean some sacrifices here and there when it comes to a “comfortable life.”

The fact is, nature doesn’t need humans, BUT humans need nature to survive.

Love, Inge

Thanks for your comments!

Just saw this at the neighbors’ place: seven (!) bulging yellow bags from three people with no pets.
Garbage pickup is every 14 days.

Best regards, Marlies