Life On Earth

By Seethalekshmi Kishore

Three men, three men in space saw earth

the first time we’d looked at us in the mirror

it became clearer what we were really worth

a blue grace in a mass of an abyss-like wraith

Yet we don’t get the value of our globe

Until it fades, fades into an ungodly murk,

a shadow to the universe, and the irk in me

for the iconic trope trait of a new planet

For real, they have even started plan it,

Focus on mars as another new ‘casualty’

Just to imprint the human reality of ours

and bait their creation behind bars

I see how this idea can be plausible,

but I have doubts whether it’s possible.

If we leave our mistakes in obscurity,

what surety do we have we’ll do better?

Are we doing this? deplete it of all its asset

and leave the planet when it nears its expiry date

But beware, how long are we going to try?

Until we no longer have a universe to spare

The carbon in the place you’re in right now

the ac’s, the cars, the plastic – the burden

is it all because of capitalism? for money?

it’s never a need – it’s just because of greed

Where white-collared people sell things- just stuff

in uncontrolled numbers to rueful costumers

and why? just to cover their office wallpaper

or use as paperweights – their profits- money

Paperweights or not, they are happy to get it

to forge ahead in the so called ‘economic race’,

And I wonder what will it take to convince them?

“Oh, if this continues, you won’t have a world to sell to”

And if they take a minute off from working on some

gimmick to sell and mimic as the new brute or cute

they will realize what they have done to this world,

fast fashion, climate change, cries of poor tribes

I am not kidding, there are tribes in Africa

fighting for a place to just - rest - in their forests

their rightfully owned forests littered with tourists

and people barging in for business-into their homes

The worst part, the government isn’t doing anything,

Infact, they fight, they fight not alongside, but against

against the country, they devourer their own country

just to get a good deal with the people they’ve allied

Individual enterprise, scientific temperament

do the terms hold any value? or are they just lies,

lies made up to cover the constitution’s culpa

paired well with the excuse of ‘kalpa – the way of life’

Global warming is a real issue.

instead of pursuing a green new deal

we and the government look for excuses

that won’t suffice when it’s a matter of life.

The only life as a blue globe in an infinite cluster

of pure darkness and gloom, no hope just death

We have to take action, so that we don’t limper

and watch the human race fade into paper-space.

By Seethalekshmi Kishore