A PRAYER FOR OUR PLANET: An Elegy for a Wounded World

SETTING: A quiet corner in a bookstore attempting to masquering as a coffee cafe, five 
friends huddled around a scarred wooden table while listening to some poetry early one evening. 
Tim turned to his friends and shared a poem that he wrote many years ago -

	In ages past, wild woods stood
	as prey and predators choreographed landscapes
	as insects scampered in the understory.

	Now with chain saws & bulldozers in hand
	we sow cash-crops in tightly-arranged rows,
	in cold geometry slashes across the land.

	Must our ravenous greed foster more despair 
	As we tread unaware, stumbling down fresh-cut roads 
	toward a infernal ruin we refuse to see?

Terri exhaled slowly while holding her wine glass tightly. "Wait! I have no tolerance 
for doggerel like this. Why is this poet wasting our time on such fluff? Does writing 
eco-kitsch like this do anything useful?" 

Ted leaned forward in a intent, low voice. "I sense your frustration . Isn't the dude 
trying to mend the wounds we’ve inflicted on the Earth? This verse brings us back to 
the question of eco-responsibility.  We talk about technological progress, but is 
destroying ancient lands actually 'progress?' Perhaps we need to question the foundational 
values of modern development?" 

Kris nodded fervently, then added, "Absolutely! Even though this is a clunky poem, 
it makes some valuable points. The second stanza is a timely reminder to not treat 
the Earth's ecosystems like expendable resources. What good are rising GDPs if we choke on the air?"
        
Sam shrugged off his apathy. "This work,  amateurish though they be, is a powerful critique of capitalism. 
Our system rewards short-term gain at the cost of our planet’s long-term vitality. I wonder 
whether we really shift the global economy away from 'ravenous greed?'" 

Tim tilted his head, fingers circling his coffee cup. "I don’t see any solutions suggested in this poem. 
However, we have to stop treating environmentalism as a hobby. It is a baseline ethical duty.
If we fail o protect our  planet, what future awaits our children?" 

Silence blanketed the table and the hum of automobiles in the distance seemed to dim.
Then Sam let out an unapologetic belch and asked if anyone’s up for a beer run.
They cracked up at his complete disregard for the room’s fragile solemnity.
Outside, rain taps against the windows—soft at first, then insistent, like the 
planet itself is yearning to be heard.
 

=================================================================================
from _AmeriSong: Poetry, Art, & Dialogs about Amerika_ by T Newfields
SUMMARY:  An environmental elegy that challenges capitalism's treatment of Earth as expendable, 
          debating whether moral reframing and spiritual recognition can catalyze the 
          changes needed to heal a wounded planet.
KEYWORDS: environmental poetry, climate change elegy, capitalism and ecology, 
          moral environmentalism, planetary stewardship, ecological grief and hope, 
          sustainable economics debate, Earth as sacred commons, poetry discussions,
          climate activism

Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955)
Begun: 2025 in Shizuoka, Japan / Finished: 2026 in Shizuoka, Japan
Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted

Disclosure: This piece was partially generated using AI tools for styling and ideation; 
            human editing was then applied.

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