The signs were clear, clear as the oily waters of the Gulf of Mexico; clear as the sky above of the burning lungs of the earth; clear as the melt water from the last glacier.
The temperatures rose, breaking records, and drying up lakes, leaving fields to die of thirst, breeding famine.
Sea levels rose, swallowing islands and nations, while dead zones flourished and fish populations crashed.
Habitat destruction and the Holocene extinction sped on, 1000 times faster than average evolutionary rates, wiping out plants, mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and arthropods; 875 documented cases, closer to 20,000, perhaps two million.
And still we built because still we bred, like rabbits, or rats; Bred like cancer, killing the host.
Clear signs, yes, but also obscured, obscured by desire, want, ego, rhetoric, politics, greed, myopia, wealth, comfort, hunger, distance, media . . .
Plus, the other signs were assuring and ubiquitous. These signs told us that ‘We Are Not Responsible’.
I really like this line, Al: “And still we built because still we bred, like rabbits, or rats; Bred like cancer, killing the host.”
I also think this week’s photo is fantastic! Love the picture, love the punny title. I have found myself staring at it repeatedly; there’s so much to look at.
Thanks. I was really uncertain about that line, thought it was perhaps too heavy-handed.
Thanks on the photo too. Had completely forgotten I sent them the b&w version; glad you like it. Maybe I should do a color version of this angle.
http://mcdermid.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2eclt8
There’s a brutal irony to what’s called clear in the first paragraph. Love this.
Thanks. It’s one thing I love about writing, that we can play with meaning to (hopefully) deliver a stronger impact.
So dark but wonderful rhythm and consonance. The word repetition made everything more intense. Disturbing subject but so beautifully written.
Thank you. So disturbing that I cut it short. I’m really pleased that you liked it.
That first line – whew. And ‘bred like cancer, killing the host’ is the perfect metaphor for our relationship with our planet.
Thank you for the theme. And yes, wonderful photo — love how you are one of the anchors of this place! peace…
Don’t know about anchor; I’m just happy for a place to share my work with other artists. Glad you like the piece (and sorry it’s apt) and the photo.
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