The Last Poem

A letter to the future

The last poem

we feasted without thought

took without foresight

lived for the day!

 

then, around the world

the generators went silent,  

lights flickered and went out

our screens went blank

cars, trains and planes

rusting monuments to our folly

but, for once

we could hear the wind

wonder at the Milky Way

 

winter crept in like a wolf

we sat, burning books

shivering in the dark

our stories and poems

now dreams from the past

 

years later I found

a single dusty sheet of paper

puzzled over a pencil stub

 

tentatively I made a mark upon the page

then slowly, laboriously

formed childish letters

remembered from long dead screens

until the letters formed words,

the words became sentences

advice to the future

then I stopped
thought long upon the words
until they fell lame
dumb stones through my grasp

I scored them out and wrote

To my future brothers and sisters 
we really fucked up!
learn from our mistakes
be one with the earth!

 

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I love everything you're saying here, I think these things all the time, & I like the way you always do what you do with much imagination & unique approach. I'm crazy about the whole idea of losing electricity & electronics, leaving us to fend without conveniences, only to discover the simple joys that people had stopped appreciating (love this part):
"winter crept in like a wolf
we sat, burning books
shivering in the dark
our stories and poems
now dreams from the past"

At the end, the letter part (in bold) wasn't nearly as imaginative & original as the rest . . . actually pretty lame compared to the monumental lessons that could be conveyed about our centuries of folly. But then again, maybe simple basics are appropriate here, since it's impossible to really get our arms around the shortsighted way we squandered Mother Earth & her treasures. Anything we say at this point, about our selfish greed, could never be sufficient! *sigh!* (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[alanwgraham]

Thanks for your thoughts about this Margie. You are spot on with your comments on the final section and i think you've chosen the right word for it. I really wasn't too happy with it myself and I'll hope for some inspiration and make another attempt. It's great to see that in WC we are very aware of what's going on.
Regards, Alan

[barleygirl]

This ending is so much more authentic! I love it! Sometimes it's better to admit that we're too lame to do or say what is needed anymore! This ending really kicks a*s now! *smile* Fondly, Margie

[Kathleen A McCusker]

I definitely Love Apocalyptic poems..... let’s keep producing these poems ! I liked your poem and I wish it was longer.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Kathleen. I hope that its just a story but with your Trump at the helm our boat might sink!
Regards.
Alan

[BonnyRivers]

'then I stopped
thought long upon the words
until they fell lame
dumb stones through my grasp'
I love this. The perfect way to describe losing ones grasp or command of language amongst other things. Very well thought out and written.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Bonny. I hope that I'm being pesmistic here. Time will tell. My novel is called Full Circle. It's in three parts. Our stone age past. The present climate change period. Then a future

[alanwgraham]

Sorry, I wasn't finished there-A future when we are back in the stone age. Ive tried to make it easy to read with stories and characters to take forward the theme. As far as I know you can still get it as an ebook on Amazon. No obligation but thanks for asking. Regards.
Alan

[BonnyRivers]

I will check it out Alan and well done. Completing a novel is a dream I don't think I can keep on chasing - it gets faster as I get slower ;)

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree. Powerful and worthwhile words shared.
"To my future brothers and sisters
we really fucked up!
learn from our mistakes
be one with the earth!"
I wonder what did we leave for the next generation? Thank you Alan for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Onlyme]

Alan, very insightful and so sadly true. People are so glued to their I pad and tv screens and computer screens. Like us right now. We forget about the glorious outdoors. And what life really has for u all. Beyond electronic gadgets and fads!

[ayesha cullen]

I like your way of weaving words together in an imaginative way.

And this one's really impressive:
"then slowly, laboriously
formed childish letters
remembered from long dead screens
until the letters formed words,
the words became sentences
advice to the future"

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Ayesha. I do think we have to think hard on where we are heading.
All the best.
Alan

[drcornelius]

I love this poem Alan! I think my favorite stanza is:
but, for once
we could hear the wind
wonder at the Milky Way

I would add: and smell the musky fragrance of our own work sweat.

It is evocative in so many ways. What we have lost, gained, valued, devalued, regretted and so on.

[alanwgraham]

Very kind of you. I think that the future is going to be very different for us. Maybe better!

[Nathan Spark]

I like the sentiment the this and your approach to making your point.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Nathan. It's not a happy message I know.

[Pscanlon123]

I enjoyed the read. How true with global warming threats and how we live by the light of the screen, we miss out on the beauty that surrounds us in nature. A sad and timely warning hopefully it gets us thinking and improving our actions.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks p for you kind and thoughtful review
Regards
Alan

[Anthony (aka Mr.e)]

A powerful message portrayed with striking imagery Alan, well done.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Anthony. It's great to know that there are so many aware of what is going on.
Regards.
Alan

[Chris Shaw]

We are destroying our planet and it is shameful the legacy we will leave for future generations. Although there is more awareness about the damage, steps that have been taken to help rectify the situation are all too little and too late. This is a thought provoking poem, written with imagination and yes i would agree with you, we have fucked up big time.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Christine for reading this. Too little, too late, we just have to do what we can.
Cheers,
Alan