HUMANITY LOST

humanity lost
down in Florida
in community college
I once took a class
in environmental conservation
the professor was a cynic
or maybe a realist
it’s hard to differentiate these days
but he was hellbent
on the idea that the human race
would not survive
another hundred years.
throughout the course
we learned about ozone depletion
global warming
the end of natural resources
and throughout the course
girls would leave the class, crying
having been assured of humanity’s demise
“if things don’t change,” he’d shout
“in fifty years we’ll be the living dead,
zombies walking around
bleeding from our eyeballs
and every other orifice in our bodies!”
“if we keep going down this road
we’ll be doomed. DOOMED!”
I found the class mildly entertaining
a little glimpse into the future
or one possible version of it
but now, ten years later
it doesn’t seem that things have changed
all that much
sure, we’ve got some ‘green’ products
and some hybrid cars and trucks
but we’re still living
like this earth is our ashtray
which can be emptied or discarded
at a moment’s notice
we’re still living for the moment
caring little about the future
but that is just the nature of the beast
the beast of humanity
the nature of laziness, greed and procrastination
I’m not as hellbent on destruction
as my professor might have been
I try to take it as it comes
but I do keep an eye out for the tears of blood