Spaced out

The search for new empires!

Spaced out!

Empires collide

Tectonic plates slide

Inexorable rise and fall

Leaves history in thrall

 

A date to conjure, 1492

On ocean deep and blue

Columbus and his tiny boats

sail west in search of spice

but ahead, unknown

A continent of mountains

forests and mighty rivers

Ancient civilizations

Proud and cruel

Oblivious to impending fate. 

The Conquistadors had arrived

 

And, as they say

that was the start

of a sad sad story

and what good

has it really done us from Europe

and without any doubt

not very much for

the indigent poor caribs?

 

And as usual

we’ve learned precisely nothing!

 

Then - it was Spain and Portugal that

pushed and shoved for

all kinds of bounty

real and Eldorado!

 

Now it’s outer space

The final frontier

Of power and glory

It was America and the Soviets

That kicked off this madness

JFK had this lunatic dream

Of flying to the moon

That made the nation swoon

With pride to be american

(I’ve intentionally used lower case here

because Microsoft forced me to use upper!)

 

And later Reagan dreamt

the selfsame star wars dream!

 

(Martin Luther King had a dream too

of black and white children!)

And look where it got him!

 

Now America and Russia

Are well lost in space

With China and India

hot in the race

 

They’re blasting off rockets

To right and to left

And no matter what they say

it’s all about planting the f******* flag

on some airless rock

adrift in the cosmos!

 

(Oh! I forgot to mention 

they can also carry weapons

of mass destruction!)

 

BUT

What we really really need to do now

Is to explore our own inner space

To give us more insight

Into why we’ve well and truly

buggered everything up!

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

'Spaced Out'
alanwgraham,
You covered it that is this driving force within mankind's heart to covet and then act. Really war and the choice to rule and own people through war keeps being continued. So sad because the aggressor my become numb to others or already is. Wealth, prestige, vanity all rolled up in power. Well your rant really spoke.
Blessings,
Kathy

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Kathy. As you may have guessed I was a bit spaced out myself when I wrote this but the sentiment is true. Well done for finding this.
Look after yourself,
Alan

[Kathy Van Kurin]

Alan,
Your welcome. It was an honest portrayal at the time. I like stuff like that.
Kathy

[hi]

i read this while sad music played in the background and i felt like maybe it is to late,
to late to change our crazy way.
i like this poem good job

[alanwgraham]

Yes I agree, it is sad, but there is hope and its not Donald Trump! We have too much here on earth to worry about!
All the best, Alan

[A.W. Carl]

Nice write Alan, off kilter and funny. All these world powers fight over silly things, and yet we get caught up in it as well.

Are there other empires out there? I tend to think not actually but it is a joy to ponder.

Fun read

[alanwgraham]

Thanks AW. If you didn't laugh you would have to cry!
Regards, Alan

[Stan Lee]

(Oh! I forgot to mention
they can also carry weapons
of mass destruction!) ---------laughed at that!

If it wasn't real, it'd be hilarious. I wonder if there are aliens out there observing us with mirth. Someone said that the proof that there is intelligent lifeforms out there is that they haven't contacted us. :) Great write here.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks very much. I was actually a bit spaced out when I wrote this but I think the message is still spot on. The more history you read the more your fear
for the future.
Thanks again,
Alan