Poetry – Take me back – a poem of desperation at a vision of hell

Posted on by Opher

P1050779

Take me back

Sharing a planet with seven billion, oblivious, idiots, who consume, chop and slaughter their way around the planet, is thoroughly depressing. All I see is a slow decline towards an inevitable nightmare.

We destroy it all in a rampage of careless cruelty.

We descend in fits and starts towards the plastic and concrete nightmare of neon heaven.

We replace danger with safety and excitement with security.

We take the wild and tame it.

We take the wilderness and transform it.

We are turning the remainder into a theme park.

We slaughter the wild life and cage the vestiges in zoos, parks and reserves for the day-trippers to gawk at.

Hollywood meets Las Vegas, run by the new mafia, in a desert of our own making.

I want to go back to the start and try again. I want to wipe the slate clean, put the jungles and forests back and repopulate them with the slaughtered beasts.

I want the world to live again.

All the colours have gone.


 

Take me back

 

So take me back to the African plain,

Before we all went collectively insane.

With a sweet gourd and a laughing refrain,

Before the kinks in our seething brains

Created god, slaughter and pain.

I want to live in the past and remain

Where possibility exists in harmony again.

 

Take me back to that campfire,

Before we put the last chimp on the funeral pyre;

Before the concrete and the screeching tyre

And plastic heaven that is so dire.

When the sun set in blazing fire

For the eyes of wonder to admire.

 

Cos I’ve looked down this road

Where concrete and plastic explode;

To the clash of ideology

Demanding death by decree

And I don’t like what I see.

 

Give me the virus to end it all;

To send humanity to the wall;

To free the planet from this death thrall.

For if it lives – we make it crawl.

So let it breathe

Once and for all

 

Seven billion apologies

For why we brought it to its knees,

Axed the once majestic trees,

Destroyed the flowers, birds and bees.

Plastic hell

On a concrete frieze.

 

So take me back to the African plain

Where I can breathe once again;

Hold the soil and feel its pain,

Feel infinity in a sand grain,

Without seven billion fools

To drive me insane

 

Opher 22.2.2016

If you enjoy my poems or anecdotes why not purchase a paperback of anecdotes for £7.25 or a kindle version for free.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anecdotes-Weird-Science-Writing-Ramblings/dp/1519675631/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457515636&sr=1-3&keywords=opher+goodwin

Or a book of poetry and comment:

Rhyme and Reason – just £3.98 for the paperback or free on Kindle

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhymes-Reason-Opher-Goodwin/dp/1516991184/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457515636&sr=1-4&keywords=opher+goodwin

My other books are here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opher-Goodwin/e/B00MSHUX6Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1457515636&sr=1-2-ent

Thank you and please leave a review.

29 thoughts on “Poetry – Take me back – a poem of desperation at a vision of hell”

  1. “A Vision of Hell”, well we have had that this Morning. Now what is Jeremy Corbyns answer, still talk to Terrorists? Perhaps we do not have all the answers, but “talking to terrorists”!! Germany is so close by and the first terrorist attack there and you will see Germany respond and it won’t come from Angela Merkel. Eight years of a useless Obama has not helped, quiet is he not? We need a strong America, we need Europe to stop letting all the “people” in, refugees all of them like hell amongst them we all know what they are but we sit back and do nothing I do not want to see Wars, I would not want to sacrifice my Sons. Sitting back and doing nothing is not the answer. This Country you can’t say anything without being called a racist. Belgium praised themselves for capturing that Terrorist the other day, you seriously telling me they have not known where he has been. They only acted because the France/England Rugby Final was threatened. Like tonights Football or is it tomorrow, Germany/England in Germany’s beloved Stadium. Watch the Germany Security.

    On another note, you have a Son who is a Nursing Officer? You mention to him Scoliosis and he will tell you what comes with it. For some time now Opher I have difficulty even sitting for the tailbone of my spine is curved and it is sticking out, it feels all the time it will come through the skin, to sit I have to go sideways and the whole thing is more than uncomfortable, I am not making excuses for myself but there is nothing worse than constant pain to get one down, the lower part of my back is like touching a red hot radiator all the time, so I apologise if I come over rude at times it’s not having a bad day it’s being in even more pain than I can cope with. Hope you are ok and we can agree to disagree at times and continue to remain friends.

    1. ISIS are despicable bastards. I think the answer is complex. It has to be on many fronts – military, educational, financial, ideological, religious. There is no easy answer.
      I am so sorry you are in such pain all the time. I’m sure it gets you down. I was only trying to cheer you up and getting you thinking about the positive things.
      We can disagree and be friends, Anna. That’s not a problem. I’m an awkward opinionated bastard.

  2. You are no more an awkward opinionated bastard as I am an angry and bloody minded bitch. Pain I have had for as long as I can remember, screaming inside helps, letting the end come would be even better.

  3. Put it this way, would have a lot more to look forward to out of this life than in it. Apologies if that offends but I believe we can be honest with each other.

    1. That’s what the radicalised ISIS think. I think they are wrong.
      I don’t think there is a life after death. But I respect your right to believe that.
      Regardless of whether there is or isn’t – what we have to do is make our life the best, happiest and most fulfilling we can. That is what I believe.
      There’s plenty to look forward to Anna. You have to reach for it.

  4. “For if it lives – we make it crawl.” There sure seems to be a lot of truth in that. Let me ask you an honest question, Opher… What do you think the world would look like if the idea of a God would never have been part of the equation? Do you think we’d still be living in a beautiful, harmonious paradise? What do you see when you consider that scenario? Just curious as to what might look like to you.

    1. I honestly do not think it would look that much different. We don’t live in harmony and peace. I think secular morality is every bit as good as religious morality. I suspect that the wars fought in the name of religion would have been fought for other reasons.
      Human beings are tribal and cruel. I don’t think religion has been a source of peace and love – it has been a source of hatred and war.

  5. The afterlife I believe in is not the fucking sick one that ISIS believe in and you know that. You have the right not to believe in an afterlife. I could not imagine not believing that there is not a better place than what there is here right now. If I did not believe in God than I would finish it now. God does not create War man creates War and Man alone, God does not create hatred man does, man uses religion as an excuse and people who do blame God for everything that goes wrong. You will not sort the problems of ISIS with love and understanding and educating they are beyond that all they want is BLOOD and our blood Western Blood that’s what they understand, it’s not religion it’s there excuse for terrorism.

    1. You know, it’s like the comment I left on Spiritual Dragonfly’s blog yesterday. How do we rid ourselves of the monsters without BECOMING the monsters? We blew the hell out of 220,000 people when we dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Probably most of them were innocents that just wanted to be left alone so they could live their lives in peace. As a nation the US (and I don’t know who else) made a law that they would NEVER (what’s the word that’s being bandied about here now?) carpet bomb cities like that again. Look at what those tactics did to Britain. How many cities were leveled. And yet we are hearing political candidates here say that’s exactly what we should do to get rid of ISIS. How does that help? Does it not make us just like them? For ME that’s the hard question in all of this…

      1. That is the nub.
        How do we destroy ISIS (who everyone agrees are barbaric savages) without escalating the problem and without killing and maiming many hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
        I think they are on the run. They are trying to divide us and hit at soft targets.
        We have to take the moral high ground.
        We are winning.

    2. I agree – man creates hatred and war.
      That is why I believe we have to counter it with love.
      ISIS is on the run. The terrorism and soft targets are them hitting out and trying to divide us.
      We are defeating them and their poisonous ideology.
      More violence is not the answer. Helping the Iraqis, Kurds and other Arabs forces is the right way.

      1. I think you’re right. As to winning… I guess that remains to be seen. Gawd! I can’t even imagine what that butt head Trump would do with this situation if he ever got elected. WWIII in a month maybe? He just wants to blow the hell out of everyone over there. There was one ray of hope here last night. An historic voting turn out by democrats in this state. This state is virtually mega republican because the Mormon church is. But last night more democrats came out to vote than any time in this state’s history. I hope that’s an indication that people in this country are finally taking this damn election seriously. So far it’s just been a bloomin’ circus act.

      2. A circus act sums it up.
        But I think most people realise that Trump is all mouth. What he says cannot possibly be put into action. He couldn’t build a wall along the Mexican border or kick all the Muslims out.
        All he would do is create hatred. I think you’re right – we’d be in a World war with a billion victims.
        I don’t see Trump getting elected. Hilary is far from perfect but it always comes down to the lesser of two evils.

      3. Yes. The lesser of two evils. And I found it interesting that when reporters were interviewing people last night here at the caucus, folks were actually SAYING that out loud. THAT is a good sign. I wonder if that’s what it will come down to on a global scale — which I think, maybe, is sort of what Anna is referring to — the lesser of two evils.

      4. Life has taught me that there aren’t any short cuts, nothing is black and white, and nobody is perfect. We have to find the best way forward and understand that it’s not gouing to be as good as we might hope.
        But life is still good.
        We can make a difference.
        There are plenty of things to fight for.

  6. Yes like Peace and Love, sorry Opher but it is Black and White the terrorist wants to obliterate us thats a fact, they have to be destroyed thats a fact how it is done well thats to be sorted. I say again ask those that watched loved ones blown up yesterday, ask those that have no limbs ask them what they want. No one wanted World War II but there was no option it had to happen. We are watching Terrorists out there, we are watching the Far Right increase, how much more do you think the ordinary German will take. “We can make a difference”, no not we just the poor sods who are going to have to fight them.

    1. We are fighting them.
      The terrorists are a tiny number.
      Fascists are a minority.
      They need fighting but in a number of ways.
      There are no easy answers.
      What do you want to do? How would you do it?

  7. There are terrorists amongst us here in this Country and they are known and what happens nothing, typical British will do something when it is too late. Your last question, the same as you whatever is done will be wrong, no one will win in this situation. I have two Sons that I brought up, so do you think I want to see the bodies of babies killed in war. You don’t have to have travelled the World to understand what is going on. We insult those Soldiers when we say it is wrong, they are the men on the ground they have to be supported. They did not start these Wars they just have to do the dirty work.

    1. I agree with that. We do need to do more. We need to arrest more for hate crime. We have to be able to prove it though.
      I think travelling and meeting people gives a different impression to reading about it. The media paint a narrow picture. They have an agenda. The reality is different.
      Terrorism has not killed many people. When it does it is terrible. But there is more carnage on the roads. I’m not saying it is not horrendous. It needs fighting hard. But it needs keeping in proportion.
      I don’t believe half of what I read.

    2. I don’t insult soldiers when I don’t support a war. There have been lots of unjustifiable wars.

  8. Who precisely are you referring to when you say arrest more for hate crime – you have some strange views you really do. Sorry you do insult Soldiers when you don’t support them in the war they are involved in, they are fighting for you for me for all. As for Terrorism has not killed many people, well perhaps we should ask all those that have lost loved ones to terrorism wherever that may be. Unfortunately, I have not had all the opportunities you had for travelling and living here and there, but by only having seen not as much as you and unfortunately, having to live a conventional boring bloody life does not make me stupid because I have had to read about so much, I am capable as to reading between the lines and seeing what is the truth.

    1. What is strange about arresting the imams and clerics spouting terrorism and hatred? Cut off the propaganda for ISIS. Arrest the people we see on the streets spouting out antiWest crap and demanding Sharia law. Arrest them.
      Each one is terrible. It is a question of proportion. How many tens of thousands were killed in one day on the Somme? Each one no less terrible. The little girl running out of the napalm in Vietnam. War causes many more casualties and each one just as terrible and just as loved.
      I’m not saying you’re stupid Anna. But seeing gives a different picture to reading.

    2. Dear heart. You are so not stupid. You’re just passionate. Terrorism is an emotional issue with no good solutions. I think it’s a subject we all have to agree to disagree agreably about. Better minds than ours are workin’ on the problem. {{{Anna}}} {{{Opher}}} <3

Comments are closed.