Image by Marisa04 from Pixabay
Poetry Please is a series in which I attempt to create a visual accompaniment to poetry. This poem describes an imagined future where humans are long gone, but some animals remain as witnesses to a planet slowly recovering its ravaged systems.
It is quite a sad poem, but I feel like it conveys an important message.
In a future that is rapidly approaching - like I've said to many people before - I made a conscious decision long ago not to have children.
The reason is twofold:
I can't imagine bringing a child into a future full of wars over rapidly depleting resources. A fate that could have been avoided if humankind weren't so predatory (In modern terms you could call us predatory consumers - we dig up natural resources no matter how scarce they're becoming, farm every bit of arable land, we even consumed so much fish from the Mediterranean that it is now essentially a dead sea, which can't stain any decent fish stock, and so the list goes on) and at the top of this pyramid of carnage sit our governments/elites. The primary reason why we've not taken action as a species - before the point of metaphorical singularity has passed - leaving this planet a limited lifespan, especially if we keep acting as predatory consumers. I do not wish to bring a child into the world of tomorrow, I don't want to be passing on to another human being (potentially 80-100 years) the world they will be inheriting from yesteryear.
The other reason is that this planet we inhabit is vastly overpopulated by the most destructive creature that has evolved here. Also, I have a chronic illness and just don't have the energy or inclination to be a tired grumpy dad 😂
When you say things like that to parents, you tend to get this reproachful glance or outright verbal attack because their ego kicks in along with the natural instinct to protect their offspring. How dare you speak ill of my children (the ego mutters) how dare you call into question my right to have kids (the lizard brain whispers).
"You'd feel different if you had your own children."
"That is a bleak outlook, our future children will figure out a way to live well and sustainably."
Q: "How does your family feel about this?"
A: "I don't know, as is none of their business 👎 everyone has a right to choose their life's path, as long as they don't hurt others, give freely if they have a lot, and act kindly to their loved ones. Plus at least one random act of kindness/day. This is how I live my life for the most part."
These are the type of things I hear over and over again, and after a while it becomes extremely boring, as I'm not attacking anyone with my words, simply stating a choice I've made.
Lol, but I get it.
It is everyone's right to choose to have (or not have) children, there is no value judgement going on here... apart from one side, that of some of my friends who are parents. I never sit around telling them they shouldn't have had kids, or label them 'Breeders', that is the type of crap that creates only conflict.
Yet, I've heard the opposite spouted (very often by women against women) "You have no children... how sad."
NO, this is not at all sad, every person on this planet (apart from those who live under oppressive regimes) has the gift of choice, after all, isn't that what freedom is meant to be about? Not everyone has the same dreams and ambitions, and that is OK. I find the pressure heaped on women about this particular subject (or life choice) is one of the strongest indicators that we are still very much a patriarchal society, and it is hypocrisy at its worse.
Yet social convention dictates this norm or that norm, and before you know it you're conditioned to think a certain way, or to change your attitude/thoughts based upon the people you associate with.
But what is normality?
It's just a word. In the broader spectrum, it goes hand in hand with social convention.
Many people have broken through this type of societal conditioning. I believe I have, mainly through meditation practice and observing over the course of 40 years what judgement breeds when it festers in someone's soul.
Those who judge such meaningless things as choosing not to have children (which is not an irresponsible act in a world currently occupied by roughly eight billion humans) are usually looking for a scapegoat to take out their frustration upon... because they see that person doesn't have the responsibilities they have. I see this very much as an adult spitting the proverbial dummy out of the pram... sry for that awful pun, every now and then one sneaks through.
I love my friend's kids and have a wail of a time playing games with them, I'll even babysit upon occasion. But at the end of the day, I can say here you go my friend... have your child back when they turn up at 11-12 pm after going for a meal and a few drinks.
I'm happy to do this on occasion, but it always reinforces that I made the right decision for myself 🤣 I guess I'm going on something of a freewrite ramble here because I recently went to a festival where I saw someone who I'd not spoken to in over 7 years, and instead of catching up (even for a minute or two) she gave me a 2-second hug, said hello, and then turned back round check if her 3-year-old was Okay.
Anyway, I personally think that the only way we'll improve our chances to live in some type of harmony with the natural world, that sustains us, is by dropping the population of the planet, shifting our focus from raping the planet, and instead nurture it. With rapidly dwindling resources, fewer people mean fewer resources needed, which means less energy consumed, and less disease (as there wouldn't be as many people to carry infectious disease) and to top it all off there would be a slow change in attitude.
I say live and let live.
Have kids or don't have them, but if you come at me (as one of my friends did passive-aggressively having a go at me for my choices), then don't be surprised if you get hit with a truth bomb.
I'm not at all religious, but didn't Jesus say:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Source: Matthew 7:1-5 of the
Which sounds very similar to what the Buddha said:
"Do not be a judge of others, do not judge others. Those who judge others only harm themselves."
But enough of that armchair psychology stuff 😝
Poetry is the highlight of this blog and I created a short film with music to compliment the poem ⏫ which can be found at the top of this blog. As I said, the poem was inspired by a long bought of extreme anxiety/depression in my late twenties.
Thanks for reading/listening 🙂🌿
Sources:
All video clips were using creative commons film sourced from www.pexels.com video section.
I created a short film to music to go with the poetry reading, using creative commons clips sourced from www.pexels.com video section.
Music: https://www.free-stock-music.com/savfk-the-meaning-of-words.html
Title Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/st-crispins-asylum-hospital-2780087/
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(@dbooster here) I am trying to get out the weekly review, but I had to pause and comment because I enjoyed your poetry and the post.
Eh, people are ruled by their ego, as you correctly say. Whatever choice people make is a good one—for them—and that is all that matters. I hope you don't let people like that get to you.
That's true, but I think it's even more basic than that. Most people put so much of their ego in their own decisions that when someone makes a decision opposite them, they see it as a personal attack. "That person is saying I'm stupid!! I'll show them!" Then they go over and start arguing. It's all very childish. But at the same time, we can't blame them too much, as there is very little teaching in this world about getting over the ego. Most teaching gives the opposite, eh? Like these Christians in name only who want to police the world and punish anyone who doesn't agree with their "morals".
Anyway, that is a bit of a dark poem. But at the same time, I see optimism in your painting with words. If we fuck up and are no more, and we will eventually be no more even if we don't fuck up as all things end, even humanity. If and when, well, the world will move on, it will recover from whatever we do to it (eventually) and will thrive again. But perhaps it will retain those memories of yesteryear for the next intelligence to discover and wonder at.
Hi m8, no I don't them get me worked up, it's like water off s duck's back, and my current girlfriend is like me, she hates drama, politics and already has a 19-year-old son who I get on with fine as two adults just talking, so there is none of that 'step dad' nonsense.
This is exactly what I've experienced many times, often by people I consider acquaintances rather than friends, and after a while (with the more aggressive verbal attacks) I just lean forward and say "Your child is not special! All children are special and should be nurtured." But I have to be pushed far to say something like that because it is hardwired into parents (especially the mother) to defend her child, but again I think it is largely due to social conditioning.
I've never started those types of conversations before, it has always been a (mainly) female friend asking the questions: "why aren't you married, with kids, you're good looking", it’s really simple,
A: I don't believe in the sanctity of marriage.
B: I don't believe in the authority of the church,
C: The world is massively overpopulated, and we don’t need a massive generational apocalypse of not having any children, but without that societal conditioning changing, I feel it will be difficult to enact a scenario whereby people are not pressured by family to bring a grandchild into the world for them. I’ve thought a lot about this and have had both dreams where people retreat to underground bunkers, or perhaps the billionaires will build giant towers above the clouds to escape the smog below and allow then to grow their fresh heirloom vegetables (Altered Carbon style).
D: I am currently Handfasted to my girlfriend; an ancient pagan ceremony (no goat sacrifices or giant wicker men here 😂). Just a private time between me and her in my flat, where we made vows to stay together (faithfully) for at least a year. I couldn't find a ribbon so as it was the end of the night of my headliner gig, I tore up the paper copies and bound our wrists in poetry.
Whoever said romance was dead ehhh 😂
Thanks for reading/listening 🙂🌿
Oh, before I forget @dbooster here is a YouTube performance of my headliner gig was at
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STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
I do love the imagery your words conjure up and especially when you speak them.
This os a beautiful poem, I don't find it sad. Nature will always find a way to survive.
As a mum of 3, my belief is different around children. I think it's important we raise children who are passionate about nature. No more to be said, on my part xxxx
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.xxxx
Yay! 🤗
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How synchronostic to find you this very day.
I'm so glad I did!
❤️🪷
Hi @nickydee
I guess that the synchronicity was due to the poem's subject matter?
Or maybe, my accompanying text about judgmentalism and how I believe that societal conditioning has a lot to answer for?
Anyway, whichever it is I'm glad you enjoyed the post and it resonated with you 🙂🌿
:D
You are my people!
You too, lovely soul <3