The Planet Will Be Fine without Us
It circled the sun four plus billion times
before we happened and will circle at least
four more billion times after we destroy ourselves
and a few thousand species of our closest relatives.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
once Ordovician and Silurian events
emptied the seas.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
after the Devonian catastrophe ended
three quarters of species, land and sea.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
when the Permian extinction made the goo
that made the Rockefellers wealthy.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
after the Triassic and Jurassic made the death that made the coal
that gave us the power of our own gradual death.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
when the dinosaurs were snuffed out by shock and awe
of that terrible asteroid and the dark sky after.
The planet will be fine without us after wealth,
torn from under earth, burns and stokes the final fire
that will extinguish all we know and all we knew
and the planet- fine without us—
sprinkles sediment over our remains
to entomb all we were for the brief, frantic, time we were.
before we happened and will circle at least
four more billion times after we destroy ourselves
and a few thousand species of our closest relatives.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
once Ordovician and Silurian events
emptied the seas.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
after the Devonian catastrophe ended
three quarters of species, land and sea.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
when the Permian extinction made the goo
that made the Rockefellers wealthy.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
after the Triassic and Jurassic made the death that made the coal
that gave us the power of our own gradual death.
The planet will be fine without us as it was
when the dinosaurs were snuffed out by shock and awe
of that terrible asteroid and the dark sky after.
The planet will be fine without us after wealth,
torn from under earth, burns and stokes the final fire
that will extinguish all we know and all we knew
and the planet- fine without us—
sprinkles sediment over our remains
to entomb all we were for the brief, frantic, time we were.
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Author's Note
Be of good cheer
for the end is near.
Other stories by Gary Hardaway
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Sad, yet comforting in its way.
Oh yes. Get you to a mic in a crowded room and blast this one out. It's a spoken poem. Yes.
Indeed, Neil! Best one of yours I've seen yet, Gary. *****
Agree with Neil about the power of speech here.*
Hurrah for writers who write like this! *
I can hear this loud and clear, with apocalyptic jazz accompaniment.
Intelligent, cogent, and timely.*
Wonderful truth.
Reminded me of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnJFhuOWgXg
*, Gary. Really good Nostradamus-ian verse. The form seems a perfect way to deliver your forecast for a lonely planet.
Hard edge. I like it, Gary. *
Thanks to:
T.L. Sherwodd (yes, the odd hope of our removal is a comfort)
Neil McCarthy (special thanks to you)
Mathew Paust (your agreement is agreeable)
Nonnie Agustine (So very kind of you)
Carol Reid (wish I could write or even just play apocalyptic jazz)
Gary Powell (three of my goals)
Leticia Coyne (Yes, i see the connection and like it)
David James (a bit of a Jeremiad, yes)
Sam Rasnake (encouragement from one of my favorite poets always welcomed)
Great work.
A fine piece, Gary. Let's hope somehow your wry poetic reminder (ineluctable prophesy?!!) redeems us a bit, despite the refrain's painful truth.
"The planet will be fine without us as it was
after the Triassic and Jurassic made the death that made the coal
that gave us the power of our own gradual death."
A beautiful baseball bat of a poem! *
Thank you, Tara, Ed, and Bud.
"brief, frantic." You got that right.
Thanks, Roz.
Good poem. I, too, find it comforting. *
Thank you, Beate.
Some indisputable truths so eloquently put...
... made the death that made the coal
that gave us the power of our own gradual death.
Yes. *
Love the rhythm here, Gary. Thoughtful. *
Thank you, John.
Constructive Repetition.
Thank you, Samuel.