She was the most beautiful one
She could take the breath away and leave you without words  
From sunrise to sunset, she sparkled and mesmerized
She was a Princess, of royal lineage
Bedecked in multi colours
Her flowing gown was the brightest, purest azure
Sprinkled with precious stones of diamond and Amethyst
Her touch was soft and sensual
When she sang, the birds listened and the storms abated
And her heart, her pure heart, encompassed all who dwelled with her
She opened her house to nourish strangers  
And fed the poor with rich delicasies
She poured cool water into the parched mouths of the weary
And joyous wine into the cups of the downtrodden
Her own ******* gently suckled orphans
She made her scented gardens available to those who roam
And prepared the softest beds for those who were without abode
She never stopped giving
Yet, this world and strangers did not value her, did not love her
They were not grateful
They used her for their own ends
And plundered her belongings, even her own heart
Men were not content to gaze upon her loveliness
But siezed her violently with soiled sinews
They tore her adornment from her body
And leered greedily at her nakedness
They beat her prettiness into blood and smears
And burned her skin with torches
They mauled her ******* and drained them dry
They penetrated her and violated her
Leaving her in shame and degradation
And when they were satisfied, and their vile ***** had taken root
They left her **** and weeping
In anguish and near death  
And in her agony and death throes
She cried out for her Father
This world has come full circle
From darkness and watery surface
To darkness and smoke
This home which we call earth
Has filled our every need
This luxurious dwelling place, alone in the vast cosmos
Was perfect and pure  
It was a residence unmatched in the known universe
A home with all we need
The Landlord prepared it well
Built to the highest standards
With all amenities
And so many desirable things to please
And some of us tenants complied with it's demise in ignorance
While others, daring and arrogant
Used it, abused it and vandalized it
We have sullied the neighbourhood
And disrupted the peace
We have let it run into disrepair
The greatest property neglect of all time
We have gorged ourselves on the feasts that were left in the home
And tore up the fruit gardens and flower beds
We have turned it's garden into a ******* tip
But our tenancy is about to end
The lease has run out
And we failed in our stewardship of this beautiful world
For this pretty planet cries out for justice
For restoration
Who will save our earth?
Will the great and wise men of politics take a moment from their lunch meetings to act instead of speak?
Or will the gods of science humble themselves and refrain from tampering with nature,
Finding ever new ways to produce new things?
Do the entrepeneurs and mass producers still have conscience in their soul?
Or will they forge ahead advertizing yet more junk that we “need”?
Can protesters and hate-mongers breath new life into our world's lungs?
And will we accept our complicity, and repent?
Will the childen see tommorow, through the smoke and ash?
The earth cires out
She languishes and weeps glaciers that flood our lives
Her spine snaps with violent thud of explosion and shaft
And finally, she calls His name
For the “Ancient of days” has not forgotten
The benevolent Landlord is watching, waiting
His fury is restrained, for now
To allow us one more chance to change
He saw this all from afar, from far back in history
And he warned us all
He knew what the tenants might do  
And he has sworn
“He will bring to ruin those ruining the earth”
And He promises that some of us will be innocent
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”


All quotations from the Holy Bible

Wear a covering made of gauze
          that fits over the nose and mouth;
          Protecting not to catch dust and
          particles for the work not to pause—
          Perhaps be thrown out, be discri-
          minated, and received some shout.
          Toil from saving, eyes go swollen
          sick from the unseen shark in the dark.
          Those shadey spots could be seen
          thick and thin that left lots of mark.
          Tears shall fall, hope shall not die.
          Weary sighs, never heard a lie.
          
          It holds them chain—sicks are
          cheered for their pleas are heard.
          It holds them chain—lives are saved,
          not themselves but those who're brave.
          Children are crying, waiting for them
          coming.
          Hands are trembling, but there are
          musts of working.
          Things have never been solid neither
          have been veered;
          But the workers must be protected
          and be revered.
          True heroes—indeed!

Wanting so much, quickly turns to too much
Those who have much, don’t know what to do with so much
Greed and envy they invite
Long talks with eyes, that have seen too much
Hungry mouths on streets, empty bellies, cold feet, fake smiles, and sweaty palms
Street signs held by those who took too much
Left with nothing while standing for nothing
Victims of decisions
Living under a vision full of nightmares
Old scars that trace back to bad choices
Squeezing pennies out of dollars
While others throw dollars at hurt lovers
Wanting too much but not willing to pay attention, Life is a long sentence
And meditation is study hall
We are stuck identifying classes
But lack chemistry
Quick to jump to conclusions
like mathematicians
While producing too much in biology
Knowing about the human anatomy but fail to know who we ought to be
Let’s tip the scale and see what would happen if the have nots had more
And the rich were broke would that increase global peace or is that too much to ask for

A little cough, no worries, it will go away
More irritable next day, worrisome by third
Had better see a doc, but slept the last that night

Scattered world wide, by planeloads, unrevealed, unknown
Germinate in a week, spawn on breath, speech of death
Revived ancient bug, mutated, drug resistant.

Pandemics, long with us: Black Death was not the first
Now global rapid spread, global rapid response
Always ready, always surprised, always novel.

The fit didn’t survive, the survivors, the fittest
Catastrophic selection, months, not million years
Emptied earth, cleaned, reclaimed, to be fought for, again.

i saw the empty streets earlier-
the ones i took going to school.
i saw how the vendors hustle
even the public drivers too.

i read the minds—busier than ever
wondering ******* the time.
the unfortunate ones who didn't mind
the dangers of the streets— they know they can't hide.

now you, who didn't need to be a bee,
who's buzz isn't necessary,
how dare you say the streets are safe?
it is because you're in the hive?

if only all of us can go inside.
if only all of us can stay alive.

Hues of onyx fill the hemisphere,
                                   daylight sets artificially..

The glacier of life floats breathless,
          more mass underneath..

Beauty now drowns for profit...

Davenport Tomorrow
by Michael R. Burch

Davenport tomorrow ...
all the trees stand stark-naked in the sun.

Now it is always summer
and the bees buzz in cesspools,
adapted to a new life.

There are no flowers,
but the weeds, being hardier,
have survived.

The small town has become
a city of millions;
there is no longer a sea,
only a huge sewer,
but the children don't mind.

They still study
rocks and stars,
but biology is a forgotten science ...
after all, what is life?

Davenport tomorrow ...
all the children murmur through vein-streaked gills
whispered wonders of long-ago.

Keywords/Tags: Davenport, tomorrow, future, global warming, climate change, extinction, mutation, overpopulation, disease, trees, naked, leafless