cosmic plea for earth

based on Carl sagan's tv documentary 'cosmos' episode 13: who speaks for earth

In the vast expanse of time and space,
Where galaxies and stars find their place,
A voice emerged to speak for Earth's embrace,
The eloquent words of Carl Sagan's grace.

Our civilization, humanity's own,
Faces perils, seeds of destruction sown.
From Earth's soil and skies, we have grown,
A species of potential yet unknown.

The dichotomy of our nature, a stark divide,
Aggression, submission, and ego's pride,
But also compassion, love, a longing to guide,
Our path towards survival, side by side.

As we ponder the unknown in the cosmic sea,
National boundaries blur, identities set free.
A fragile blue crescent for all to see,
Against the backdrop of the stars' grand decree.

In search of extraterrestrial life, we dream,
Amidst countless galaxies and stars that gleam.
Will civilizations rise or self-destruct, it seems,
In the vast cosmic tapestry, a complex scheme.

A vision of another world, cloaked in light,
Suddenly succumbs to a devastating night.
In darkness, they once stood so bright,
Their dreams extinguished, a poignant plight.

The "Book of Worlds," an encyclopedia vast,
Within the Milky Way's pages, their history amassed.
The darkness, the loss, a poignant contrast,
Their society's failure, their ultimate forecast.

Earth, humanity's entry, HUMANITY: THIRD FROM THE SUN,
They'd heard our broadcasts, seen what we'd done.
Technology, our power, had wildly begun,
Yet survival odds were meager, hardly won.

Nuclear war, the devastating call,
An answer to why civilizations may fall.
No more questions, no answers at all,
No love, no descendants, humanity's downfall.

East Africa's plains, where we once roamed,
From the old reptilian brain, our flaws had grown.
Fear, aggression, claims to the territory owned,
Science's gifts we accepted, but its methods disowned.

A world where reptiles might try once more,
To evolve intelligence, as they had before.
Maybe, one day, new civilizations will explore,
The cosmos, endure, and seek to implore.

Nuclear war, a fear that we all share,
Nations' excuses, a chain of despair.
A destructive path, a dismal affair,
Holding the Earth's citizens in a treacherous snare.

The balance of terror, a delicate dance,
Superpowers locked in a deadly trance.
Half a trillion dollars, a wasteful finance,
Preparing for war, the world's dissonant advance.

If an extraterrestrial visitor could inquire,
About our planet, what would we desire?
To explain our stewardship, to inspire,
To preserve life and the world we admire.

Our civilization teeters on the edge of doom,
Preserving lives and the planet's fragile bloom.
Preventing nuclear war should be our only fume,
A fundamental change, a global, shared room.

We are one species, diverse and profound,
Different cultures, but common ground.
A global perspective, let it resound,
Humanity united, forever bound.

The cosmos began with a colossal burst,
Expanding, cooling, a universe rehearsed.
Stars and galaxies from the cosmic thirst,
From the ashes of hydrogen, worlds did immerse.

Heavy atoms formed in stellar hearts,
A legacy passed as stars tore apart.
In interstellar space, clouds did depart,
Creating matter's tapestry, a cosmic art.

In the star's death, they returned to space,
Enriching it with elements in their embrace.
Turbulent clouds, gravity's graceful grace,
Formed planets, worlds, a celestial chase.

Life's molecules formed in cosmic brews,
Organic molecules, the seeds to choose.
A molecule of life, a self-replicating muse,
Natural selection's path, it did not lose.

From molecules to cells, life's grand ballet,
Multi-celled organisms in their way.
Specialized organs, life's array,
In a dance of evolution, they did sway.

Life ventured to the land, reptiles took hold,
Then warm-blooded creatures with stories untold.
Dexterity, tools, and language to unfold,
The journey of life, from the stars, it was extolled.

The ash of stellar alchemy, we became aware,
To understand the universe, our only dare.
For the love of knowledge, we passionately care,
From the stars' embrace, our curiosity we share.

We stepped on the Moon, in the Sea of Tranquility,
An achievement, a testament to our ability.
Creatures of Earth, with cosmic nobility,
Our quest to know the cosmos, a shared sensibility.

Our loyalty to Earth, to our fellow kind,
We speak for the planet, for all of humankind.
Survival's mandate, a duty intertwined,
With the cosmos, to which we're forever aligned.

To survive and flourish, we must take the stand,
For Earth and the universe, it's in our hand.
A sense of wonder, a passion to expand,
Our connection with the cosmos, to understand.