I see a church spire fall to earth
as if God’s hand had snapped it off
and cast it down, admonishing:
‘You fools! Look where you’re heading:
I gave you planetary abundance,
Paradise lay at your feet
yet you chose greed,
consumers freed
to make Hell out of Heaven.’
© 2022 experimentsinfiction.com. All Rights Reserved.
Written for earthweal
Yesterday, Storm Eunice ravaged parts of the UK, bringing down the spire of St Thomas’s Church in Wells, Somerset. The Anthropocene signalling continues, and most of the time we choose to ignore it, until something particularly dramatic like this happens. Then we gasp for a few seconds in horrified awe, before turning back to whatever we were doing and continuing with our lives. Is there anything else we can do at this stage? I’m not sure, but I think we really are damned if we fail to acknowledge our part in all of this.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-somerset-60434329
Sharing with earthweal’s Open Link Weekend #106.
Fools indeed — behaving as if we all secretly hold the keys to the other reality where only a few can enter. Which is where exactly?! SMH.
I’m sorry to hear what the storm brought. Hope you were spared
(Though none of us are spared when we’re losing the battle that we never should have seen come to be.
Hell in Heaven!
Your words touch me. Thanks for sharing.
Still, we continue trying to bring awareness. Bless you. xoxo
Thank you, Selma, sometimes I feel that all I can do is bear witness 🙏
Sometimes it’s that way. We need witnesses. Hard job. I bless you.
We can only expect more of these. In Bomy, in northern France, the church spire needed replacing because the old timbers had rotted. The whole village turned out to watch them crane into place a custom-built oak replacement frame weighing several tons. It was an amazing sight. I have some photos somewhere, but can’t find them or I would have attached one. 🙂
That must have been quite a sight!
Indeed. It was a very close-knit community anyway, but it was lovely to see the whole village sharing a very special moment.
Ingrid, you have written a very powerful verse about how we ignore signals, we pretend all is well and keep on causing situations for untold damage.
I am sorry about the devastation caused by Storm Eunice.
Thank you, Punam: it was not bad where we live. But sooner or later we will all be affected 😳
You are welcome, Ingrid.
What a relief it was not bad where you live but someday we will all suffer.
Indeed the truth. Love the power packed poetry.
Thank you Kritika 🙏
My pleasure always 🙂
Eish, what a revealing and admonishing poem! It is true what you’ve said. Most sanctuaries as led by inept and greedy holier-than-all clerics.
Thank you Lamittan 🙏
You’re most welcome, Ingrid.
I live in a flooding US state where most of its wealth is accumulated on submerging shores and a far-right Republican who stumps on messages of “choice” and “freedom” while behind the scenes silently engages the reality of climate change. It’s a specie of madness akin to business as usual after such a storm in the UK yesterday. The fundamental messages of a radical foundational shift away from fossil-fuel culture will not go away, and the resistance to that change becomes uglier and blacker and more insane. So we go. What is the poetry of that, I wonder. Another specie of madness, I suppose. Looking forward to your earthweal challenge next week.
I just stand back, watch the madness and try to breathe steadily…
Another fallen spire
Caused by nature’s hellfire
The greedy stupidly resume their crossfire
Such it is, such it is…
Best I rest my weary bones .. ready for the next battle 🌏💙
As do I! 🙏
We certainly have made a mess of this beautiful planet. I hope you and yours were safe. We had strong winds yesterday, too, but nothing like that! Thank you for including the link.
We were not badly affected at all. It’s just that with the intensity of such storms, we never quite know what to expect!
I’ve been through some bad ones. It’s scary, and you’re right.
I agree with your words, very well said Ingrid. I hope and pray this terrible storm passes and leaves, it has already caused too many sorrows. All the best and my greetings from Spain.
Francis
It is already over, thank you, but there are too many these days.
Yes, that is good that is over and you’re right, we’ve had far too many as well…
Yesterday was a bit scary. I thought our tree was going to snap. The fence was rocking and we could hear stuff falling down the chimney. I think we have to adapt as best we can really. It’s just going to get worse isn’t it.
Yes, I think it is. It wasn’t too bad over here but it’s just a lottery really…
On the other hand this morning we have aquired a big blue tarpaulin sheet, hanging on the bushes at the bottom of the garden. God knows where it came from…
Rather sad that it takes storms like these to get any sort of response to climate change. Good to have poets using their talent to raise awareness.
I think even storms like this don’t make politicians take it seriously! Thank you for reading 🙏
Brilliant poem Ingrid and a good point well made!
Thank you Kim 🙏
Very well said, Ingrid! You are a gifted writer ! Our desire is to educate people to respect and cherish our beautiful planet. It is very difficult with the economic interests and the indolence of politicians.
Thank you Virginia!
I often wonder what creator thinks of the mess humans have made of the earth. sigh….indeed too many fools wandering in the darkness. sigh…
I don’t suppose the creator is too impressed with us…
For a so called Christian nation always on the lookout for dark omens, we are pretty blind. But of course who wants to take responsibility for their own Fall?
wow – that really happened? how scary!
Yes – there is video footage if you click the link!
crazy – I love how this inspired your poem!
How could I not write a poem after seeing that?
🤷
Yes. True words. Humanity has not evolved to our higher natures, sadly. Quite the opposite. It is hard to know as much as we know. Those who dont believe are more fortunate, though completely misguided.
“Happy are those who lose imagination: They have enough to carry with ammunition.” – Wilfred Owen
Powerful Ingrid and so well said my friend!! 💖💖💖👏👏👏👏
Thank you Cindy 🙏💖😊
Welcome Ingrif!💖
ingrid!! 🤣
😘
😘
A painful truth. Let us hope new choices are on the horizon. Gorgeous poem, Ingrid.
I do hope so, Jeff, thank you 🙏
There is so much bad news to wrap our minds around all at once! Yet, we cannot afford to ignore any of it. Such a dramatic and disturbing image! Your poem is both eloquent and hard-hitting, Ingrid! <3