We have created forests of steel and glass
Mighty edifices of mountain hewn stone.
We think this manufactured world is eternal.
That the stone and steel will keep the world at bay;
safe guard us from the harsher aspects of life.

Yet even in our manufactured prisons
the rest of the world creeps in
The hawk nests atop our skyscrapers
Tiny weeds find a way through concrete shrouds
Boldly blooming amidst the desolate grey plains.

We are now affecting change on a global scale.
In our misguided pursuit of endless growth
and the so called good life
we have altered planetary patterns
and doomed multitudes to lives of needless misery.

So too the planet affects our creations.
The earth shifts and cities tumble
The sky weeps and rivers fill our streets.
Reminders that we are not masters of this place;
merely parts of a wondrous vast cosmos.

We need a little more humbleness
towards this mysterious universe.
We need a little more appreciation
of life’s harsh beauty.
We need a little more respect
for all beings.

Photo credit: zenjazzygeek (CC-by-4.0)