Wednesday, May 14, 2008

THE VANISHING SPECIES


One more Ric Masten poem.


THE VANISHING SPECIES


I was born on a planet

almost seventy seven light years from here

an idyllic world
where children grew up
without the threat of nuclear holocaust
or global warming
no instant messaging systems
no black revolutions
gay revolutions
drug revolutions
no woman's liberation
not even the choice
of taking or not taking the pill

true
the seed of all this was there
but had nothing to do
with my formative years

and now
I find myself come to this harsh place
a kind of space traveler
having close encounters
with my own children

like creatures
from different star systems
we stare at each other
across the void
even our words have different stems

we are aliens in each others midst

but damn it
I am the one saddled with the memory
of that other place
part of a colony
stranded on planet earth
at the beginning of the twenty first century
marooned
with no way to go back
and no time to go on

like a moon being eclipsed
my kind will soon be gone
and in light of the headlines today
the sooner the better

5 comments:

me ann my camera said...

So deep and wide and full of chasms of thought to get lost in. I could think on this all day and while nodding in agreement, browse through the internet finding inspiring connections and stimulating blogs; all with just a tap of my finger. the poem fills me with nostaliga.

Ralph said...

Trying to get caught up (again). Glad you didn't have an serious damage from that Nor'easter.
Ralph

kenju said...

That's just excellent!! I love it and I'm going to borrow it, Bobbie. I hope that's okay.

Kathie Brown said...

This poem makes me think of a book I read when I was young called "The Forgotten Door". It's about a boy who falls through a forgotten door of another peaceful planet and into ours. On his planet the humans and animals can understand each other, there are no wars and their cloths never wear out. I always wanted to live there. It is still one of my favorites.

Catherine said...

Great poem, and a great blog you have, ~my first visit! Love the skyward picture on your side bar, I think your daughter Kathryn took the shot,~its wonderful!
I will have to try an visit often!
Cat