Outrageous

Outrageous

•

watch them

see them
in their cavernous dwellings

shrines to excess
to waste

testaments to foolish disregard
for our precious planet

observe them hoist themselves
to command positions
in gluttonous drive-time dinosaurs

dreaded treaded behemoths

that bully across the face
of our crippled planet

devouring resources
like a herd
of metallic mastodons

a relentless forage
of fragile fossil fuel

to suck dry
the paleozoic nectar

300 million years
in the making

a fraction of that
in the plunder
and depletion

by frivolous toys
of self-extinction

that spew forth
poisonous discharge

fouling the atmosphere

pummeling our frail ecosystem

shoving earth closer
ever closer
to the brink of no return

to satisfy a toxic desire
for bigger
gaudier
faster

hungrier

to feed
a caustic ego

to assert
perceived dominion

they are the elite
the special

the outrageously dangerous

they
are you and I

• • •

rob kistner © 2008

23 thoughts on “Outrageous”

  2. This is an outstanding piece. I particularly like the prehistoric motif running through it. Here we are, citizens of the modern world, acting as if we are mere creatures living in caves who don’t know any better. Our inaction is inexcusable. I hope we haven’t left it too late.

    Reply

  3. such wonderful imagery. different. but so accurate.
    thank you so much for all the encouraging words. its exactly what i need. someone to push me to do better.

    Reply

  5. Selma –

    I’m very pleased you enjoyed this… 😉

    I too hope that humankind is waking to the very real urgency of our current situation. We need to be responsive, because arrogantly refusing to do so will be our downfall — but we can be so prone to our misguided ego.

    I think there are enough voices of concern that a bright future is coming.

    Reply

  6. San –

    You are kind, thank you… 😉

    You have talent and simply need to challenge yourself to keep gradually lifting the bar — you have the tools and the soul to do so.

    Reply

  7. This is the best yet! I read it aloud to Otto and he insisted on my immediately printing it out so that he can keep it. He would like to know if you will give him permission to use it elsewhere, with author and copyright credits of course.

    After you commented on my Sunday Scribblings post, I added another portion (of Prose), telling of some of Otto’s activities. Look him up on Wikipedia under Otto J. M. Smith, for a fuller profile. Also, if you are not averse to letting us know, he requests your mailing address.

    Congratulations on the poem that says it all! It reminds me of my favorite quote – from Walt Kelly’s Pogo – “We has met the enemy and he is us.”

    Reply

  11. This was an outstanding piece, linking references to prehistoric times and what we are doing now
    The heedless way in which we are destroying nature for selfish purposes needs to be checked, am so glad you put this across in this piece.

    Reply

  12. I think most people agree we’re polluting the earth but people bitch about the price of gas rather than stop driving or do anything of consequence

    I just moved to a state where they don’t even recycle–would make it my cause but I have too many others

    Very forceful and timely 🙂

    Reply

  19. A very effective rant! I love the use of alliteration in here!

    “like a herd
    of metallic mastodons

    a relentless forage
    of fragile fossil fuel”

    Reply

  20. I was reading right along thinking, yeah, that’s right, and way to say what’s happening to the earth, and then the tables were turned, and I had to admit, the narrator is right. We are all a part of the problem.

    Great description of SUVs, and excellent manipulation of sound.

    Reply

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