Sunday 16 July 2017

End of the line

For Brendans weekend challenge: Imagaine a Changing Earth. At 'Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads' and what a challenge this was.


Crystal meanderings on ochre bed
romancing of song from a babbling brook,
a willow weeps, not in sadness, but joy;
dragonflies, blue green, skitty in the sun.
Along its banks, lovers touch lips and kiss
free of the fever of life’s concessions.
Right here, love . . . is love, not a possession.

Woooosshhh------thhwack

Inter-city train,
argh! Rush, crush, sardines,
standing room.
Smelly armpits, yuk!

Calling at all stations:
Polluted oceans, carbon monoxide, greenhouse gas,
Now stoppin at De-forestation.

We’re all here for the ride
Glued to the fever
living concessions
possessive lovers
hugging possessions.

Trans-continentals final stop:
Depleted ozone, affectionately known as, Apocalyptic Dystopia … 
End of the line.

Julian Clarke © 2017.


Linked to Imaginary gardens for Brendans weekend challenge: Imagaine a Changing Earth.




25 comments:

  1. A train ride to hell, that! So possible, so quickly that it's terrifying.

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  2. Love these truthful images of a changing world. Nicely done.

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  3. How difficult it is to compress geologic sweeps of time in something like a poem -- all of human history here, a least a sweep since 1300, packed on a ride from paradise to hell. Sardines and stinky armpits indeed. I wonder what cathedrals of change we might build if we could just put facts like these in the central altar. Thanks so much for joining in!

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    1. Thank you, Brendan, for your comments, much appreciated. I certainly enjoyed the challenge you set.

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  4. You really transported me into that carriage

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  5. I always consoled myself that I would not be around for the last station but now I'm not to sure of that. I expect to see the beginning of the end in my own lifetime.

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  6. Like Kerry, i didnt expect this to happen so fast. No one did. I love the earth of your first stanza....which it could have been, given a more conscious humankind. Love the analogy of the speeding train with its sobering stops. A poem that hits home, Julian.

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  7. What a wonderful write this is!!!

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  8. Somehow this reminded me of a Sandra Bullock movie about a runaway train. As I recall, it stopped in time .....

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  9. "Crystal meanderings on ochre bed" ... I love this line. And the word "skitty."

    Also this:
    "We’re all here for the ride
    Glued to the fever"

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  10. Wow - this was some ride and I don't think the last stop will be one you want to see, destruction in the wake of a new world. I have to wonder who is the conductor, he is a master of cloaked darkness.

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    1. Thanks, Truedesssa, mmm the master of cloaked darkness, now there's a great prompt. Pleased you enjoyed it.

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  11. "Crystal meanderings on ochre bed" .... *swoon*

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  12. Well done....I applauded all of it and loved the stops....the end was perfect and was sobering.

    Calling at all stations:
    Polluted oceans, carbon monoxide, greenhouse gas,
    Now stoppin at De-forestation.

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  13. Yikes! "...end of the line" I quess...
    Nice piece.
    ZQ

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  14. I love the opening line and all the stops in between.

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  15. Blink of an eye. Boom.Great write.

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  16. Let's keep a place in our hearts were we can invent words like "skitty" and where we can WHOOSH in the other direction too. Your description feels too real.

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  17. Ah, it seems we are fast approaching the end of the line. A powerful poem.

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  18. Very imaginative I was impressed with how you played withe scenery. Then came the ending.

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  19. I thought that the 'switch-over' in this, was done brilliantly. An impactful, important piece.

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  20. very interesting, Julian; luv your structure as much as your content

    much love...

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  21. I love the juxtaposition of the undisturbed natural world with the train ride. Powerful.

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  22. oh what a musical masterpiece this was. I definitely enjoyed it on this lazy Sunday afternoon here in the US. thanks for sharing it with us. what joy!

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