Birth Rights

A look at our certain future!

Granddaughter Payton

Wheat fields wave across the meadow

bright yellow 'neath a sky of blue

Beautiful swaths of sun bleached straw

cut down long before their due

So like the children of our city

colored yellow, red, brown and gold

Living out their lives in dog years

struck down long before they're old

This sickness flows through our land

leaving the helpless and despaired

Where all are made to be thrown out

none are saved or even repaired

When the silent spring finally comes

and all the birds are in a museum

We'll sell our birthright for a song

so children can pay to see them

Then all the beauty will be gone

as our grandchildren run out to play

Not under blue or 'cross the green

but in the trash from yesterday

Written August 13, 2009

All rights reserved

Author's Note

At the rate we are going we are sadly destined as a race for a dry, dusty, polluted, future. Devoid of beauty, music, children or hope!.

Reviews

[AprilRN1210]

you are by far, one of the most talented writers I have had the pleasure to meet.. I absolutely love this.. I love the picture, the font, color, the message, the flow, the rhythm, the imagery, each carefully selected word.. It feels light and hopeful and yet at the same time like a harsh wake up call.. nice job as always..

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you April I smiled upon reading that and felt I had accomplished what I set out to do.I am humbled and honored.

[AprilRN1210]

I am glad I could make you smile.. Your poetry always makes me FEEL.. I love the depth of emotion in which you write your meaningful pieces.. you always walk away feeling like you learned something or experienced something worthwhile... I would say it was a home run with this one sir.. You are more than welcome, my friend.. It is I, who is honored.. :)

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you my friend.

[AprilRN1210]

anytime.. I love reading your work... It is my pleasure..

[Alfred Kukitz]

Beautifully rendered. I felt the tears that live inside this poem. Magic in its sadness!

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you Al nice to meet you

[00000000000000000000000..]

Your words are so awesome yet true how you explain

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you John I wish it weren't
the truth

[0000000000000000000000000000]

Welcome Tate

[Fran Marie]

that last verse hits hard and heavy showing the harsh reality of what the future may bring

the movie` Soylent Green` doesn't seem too far fetched now as it once was in the 70's ...


nice one Tate

[Tate Morgan]

Fran how true that seems now. We are getting closer to the days when rationing of medicine will allow us to opt out and check out if we like Just like in soylent green .Thank you I dont think i envy those born today over the treasures we all shared and took for granted.

[Fran Marie]

I hear that...so glad to have known the good old days ...life was grand back then..

[anne]

wonderful write......so beautifully brought out the message......the way nature beauty and its elements are described,so do I find in your poem.....

[Tate Morgan]

thank you anne

[Ayushi]

This is sad but so true..
Life will become more and more artificial with time.
Your write is amazing :)

[Tate Morgan]

Ayushi Thank you I am now 55 and can tell you the world today is not a better place than the world of yesterday. We do not have as good a life now as we once did. We cannot continue to overpopulate this world. like a life boat that holds 12 you cannot continue to fill it without it sinking.

[Ayushi]

I feel the same sir and I feel that I have missed a beautiful world.. Still it's not that bad but who knows about the future if things would go this way.

[Tate Morgan]

When I was a child the birds filled the air and smog was unknown. The seasons were four distinct weather patterns and we enjoyed them all. The worst thing that would happen was that you had to come in at night. Now the worst thing is that someone would have to go outside. We didnt fear the public at large and our children played in the parks

[Ayushi]

Very true.. Old time was golden time. Nature was at it's best. Now it's not.

[Vidya Bacchus]

This is sad but in fact a harsh reality.People have gone about their lives wreaking havoc and not giving a damn about those who come after,This is another wonderful pen Tate :)

[Tate Morgan]

Vidya Thank you I agree we are trashing this planet .I was out west not long ago the rivers are dry the cities are insanely large. Why do we need 18 times the normal amount of water just to flood golf courses in Vegas. We are due for a reckoning and that right quick.

[Vidya Bacchus]

You are welcome and I agree with everything you said.We are taking our planet for granted and treating her badly and when she turns on us we are always so surprised.

[Tate Morgan]

One only needs to look at this to realize we have had a profound effect on our ecosystem http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/07/04/phoenix-arizona-dust-storm/12215551/

[Vidya Bacchus]

True that my wise friend :)

[Vidya Bacchus]

Wow I have never seen a dust storm thankfully.This was terrifying and a portent of worst disasters to come that we have brought on ourselves I guess.

[Tate Morgan]

yeah the dust bowl of the thirties did the same thing lack of water along with clear cut farming coupled with a drought left the west a wasteland and dust enveloped the United states to the point it fell in Washington on the day of hearings over the dust bowl bringing home the severity of the situation.

[Tate Morgan]

imagine this as our future taken from our past we are destined to repeat it .
https://www.google.com/search?q=dust+bowl+depression+photos&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=rDXRU-juBdHYoATjv4GQBw&ved=0CBwQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=667

[nana]

Tate you always make me smile. However this one does have a sad tone to it. It is beautifully written. Only you could make me feel good about an uncertain unhappy future. Well done thank you for your friendship.

[Tate Morgan]

Nannette so nice to see you I take it the Jake is getting ready for school? Thanks dear. I know you see these things all the time living in California. The doomsday Prepers the naysayers. I wish I could say I was mistaken but I dont think so. I wish you'd stop over more often Peace dear.

[Ally Monique]

Humanity needs to wake up. The Government always says "tomorrow" When our chance at a bright future lies in "today." I took an environmental science class so this sort of stuff hits home. As an individual, I try to leave as little of an biological footprint that I can. If only everyone would do the same.
Thanks for sharing!

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you Ally I hope you get the chance to pass that wisdom on

[Ally Monique]

pleasure is mine! I plan to do so

[WILDERNESS]

Yes that may well be our future, we consume everything and want more, and there seems no end.............. well written, friend

[Tate Morgan]

Hi friend yes I see us expanding our population and using everything up yet replacing almost nothing that has to by its very nature have an end.burning fossil fuel is profitable so it will continue no matter what happens to the environment or the people in it thank you

[WILDERNESS]

this planet would have sufficed us but for our greed and lust for growth.......................

[Tate Morgan]

Agreed There are so many of us now It cannot continue to feed and cloth us especially now that the rest of the world wants to live like we do and will not stop that expansion