Nature v Human Nature (Winner takes All?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

‘It’s a life for a crust!’ my mother would often exclaim with mixed amusement and stoicism to us kids.

More than half a century on, and growing old, I understand only too well what she meant.

An earlier version of this poem has appeared on the blog before; in 2000, at the turn of the century, it was published in an anthology the same year and has resulted in a number of emails from readers (of all ages) to say how much they can relate to it. Some years on, I have to say I don’t find much changed for the better ... 

Oh, well, c’est la vie.

My maternal grandfather would often say "Better a plodder than a plonker be." Oh, and why not? We plodders are (on the whole) a happy breed if struggling sometimes to rise above the chaos of battles between nature v human nature. We try to make the best of things, refuse to be cowed (for long) by the worst, and trust common sense will (eventually) impose a benign order (of sorts) on our surroundings ... whoever and wherever we may be in a century that has come far, but still has as much to learn about as from nature and human nature, not least regarding the (all-inclusive) art of nurture.

NATURE V HUMAN NATURE (WINNER TAKES ALL?)

Can’t get on a bus, schoolkids

won’t walk half a mile;

stuck on a train, points failure,

(blame the weather);

arrive at work later than usual,

half the staff phoned in sick;

Start to get things done - and

the IT system goes down;

mad rush to meet Management’s

deadline, only to discover

it's been extended yet again;

no relief (or lunch break);

long afternoon, more than ready

to make the Home Run, left

fuming how quirks of modern life

always ganging up on me

Soon, feet up, relaxing (I wish!)

but family strife, no easy life;

a stressful stroll through streets

paved with fool’s gold,

feeling old, and youths sneering

at wrinklies in designer gear;

cyclist hurtling along the pavement

sends shoppers running for cover;

resentment boils over. I stand firm;

cyclist takes a nasty tumble;

a cop across the street rushes over,

takes my details, warns me

I’ll get a letter, says folks my age

really should know better ...

Oh. and when did mind-body-spirit

ever let age get the better of it?

Peace at last on a quiet hill as dusk

settles on this, my cruel city;

world without pity, but so beautiful;

kite flier, taking on a rough wind

with laughter, joy and pride, proof

(as if any needed) of humanity's

predilection for turning a blind eye

and/or deaf ear as and whenever,

the better to give mind-body-spirit

every chance of making good

and breaking free of what 'society'

would have us take for gospel,

since that’s the way it is, we can take

or leave it ... except we can't, won’t,

because humanity has a conscience,

that would have the last word

Much as a swallow will fly warmer climes,

shall the human heart wing kinder times  

Copyright R. N. Taber 2000; 2020

[Note: An earlier version under of this poem first appeared under the title ‘Citizen 2000’ in an anthology, Through Life’s Window, Poetry Today [Forward Press] 2000 and subsequently in Love and Human Remains by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2001.]

Earth Rage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

As a poet whose poetry is archived by the British Library and elsewhere, I try to record major events - including natural disasters - around the world for future reference. Sadly, I have to be selective, but try to write about the worst, especially those that have affected me deeply and cried out for a poem.  I often revert to the villanelle form - as I do here - and can but hope readers will find it effective.

Although these poems are archival now, they serve as reminders all that climate change is no new phenomenon; nature has been sending out warning signals for years. More we should never forget the impact natural disasters have on families and communities around the world; it is not enough to blame nature, humankind needs to accept its own share of blame and take appropriate action before it is too late for any of us 

On March 11^th 2011 an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck the north-eastern coast of Japan. Although Tokyo is some 200+ miles from the epicentre, it some suffered some damage if incomparable with the utter devastation a Tsunami that quickly followed left in its wake further along the coast. Shocking, live TV coverage inspired the poem.

EARTH RAGE

Nature raging, run amok,
tsunami taking its toll;
Tokyo's reeling in shock

Japan having to take stock
of losses stark and cruel;
nature raging, run amok

Ground rolling, hear it crack,
folks wrestling self-control;
Tokyo's reeling in shock

Across islands of the Pacific,
find fear draping its pall,
nature raging, run amok

As its stunned surrounds rock,
the good earth making a kill,
Tokyo's reeling in shock

Humanity taken a cruel knock,
nor all its wounds soon heal;
nature raging, run amok,
Tokyo's reeling in shock

[London; March 11th 2011]

Copyright R. N. Taber

Floods of Fear

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

[Update: From February to April 2019, widespread flash flooding affected large parts of Pakistan, most severely in Balochistan, KPK, Punjab, and other provinces. ... The main areas affected were Turbat, Tump, Nasirabad and Dasht where 300 people were displaced due to the flood.]
Dare I suggest climate change is not as recent a phenomenon as some people are suggesting, not to mention as many others who remain in denial.?


The 2010 Pakistan floods directly affected an estimated 14-20 million people, and killed over 1,700. Nearly 1.1 million homes were damaged or destroyed, and at least 436 health care facilities were destroyed. The floods in Pakistan began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and, Balochistan regions of Pakistan, which affected the Indus River basin.

Nature alone is not to blame. Humanity is polluting its earth, air, seas and rivers, and we need to start taking our individual responsibilities to the planet seriously before it is too late. Too many people don't even recycle waste, even where facilities are provided, and do not see it as their problem; we all need to do what we can...or it will be left to future generations to suffer the consequences and pick up whatever pieces may be left. 

Past-present-future is a continuum for which we all need to shoulder some responsibility instead of shrugging off the likes of climate change as fake news or as of no immediate personal concern to us so let other people clean up our mess...

FLOODS OF FEAR

Floods of fear confronting Pakistan,

indiscriminate, rich and poor;

terrorism no less a threat than rain

Now and then, the worst monsoon

breaks down the strongest door;

floods of fear confronting Pakistan

Pain and grief as the world looks on

(some say could, should do more);

terrorism no less a threat than rain

Those left homeless, no peace plan

for reconstructing their future;

floods of fear confronting Pakistan

Across the border with Afghanistan

some two-way trafficking for sure;

floods of fear confronting Pakistan

Aid on its way, can’t arrive too soon;

nature wreaking sickness and more;

floods of fear confronting Pakistan;

terrorism, no less a threat than rain

Copyright R. N. Taber 2010

INDUS RISING

Swathes of the Indus rising

where homes stood, crops grew,

men, women, children dying

It’s live in tents or nothing

whom the monsoon rains pursue;

swathes of the Indus rising

Millions have lost everything,

aid taking its time to filter through;

men, women, children dying

Cases of cholera spreading

like a terrorist nightmare come true;

swathes of the Indus rising

The stink of bodies floating

where nature’s wrath spares but few;

men, women, children dying

Human spirit near breaking,

yet its promises to mend ringing true;

swathes of the Indus rising;

men, women, children dying

Copyright R. N. Taber 2010

[Note: Both poems appear in Tracking the Torchbearer by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2012.]

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Nature v Human Nature, Battle Royal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

"Autumn's nearly over, and who's ready for winter? Not me!" exclaimed a neighbour the other day, adding, " ...but who's ever ready for any change for the worse,"he asked with a wry grin, then "We can but take it in our stride, I guess, and hope for the best..."

I refrained from saying that 'hoping or the best' may well - literally - be the death of humankind if we don't all get our act together sooner rather than later regarding climate - not just seasonal - changes across the globe. We've had this conversation before. He is convinced Donald Trump had his finger on the pulse when he dismissed the idea of climate change as fake news, scaremongering, intended to make Big Business feel guilty and think again about just how it continues to amass its millions.

Climate activist,  Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenagers has recently made world headlines by going 'on'strike' from school as part of a strategy to emphasise the concerns of young people worldwide regarding climate change. She was invited to speak at a world conference on climate change and  succeeded in ruffling many a politician's feathers with her blunt, no-nonsense approach to a subject increasingly close to many people's hearts, especially the young,given that it is their futures with which our political ,betters, insist on playing Russian roulette.

While I applaud this young woman's stand on climate change, and wish her well, I also hope she does not neglect her schooling for too long.  Education is not only the key to exposing ignorance, it is also  the key to power; the latter is necessary if we want to make a difference in real rather than rhetorical
terms. The Here-and-Now is all about immediacy, especially for the young as I well recall, albeit from a distance of some sixty years; pointing it in the right direction is one thing, though, steering it there is another challenge altogether. The person at the helm needs to be clearly focused at every turn of the wheel on what he or she is doing, and why. No one is going to give a fifteen year-old girl a turn at that wheel. All the feisty spirit and good intentions in the world are no substitute for experience, and that falls under the remit of a good education, the more authoritative the better, to take us to a position of power; only then do we stand any chance of grabbing the wheel. It can be a long haul to get there, and it's a wise person who not only starts young but also Education as both mentor and ally.

If hope springs eternal, it is on the energy of youth that it best thrives. Hopefully, more like-minded people like Greta will see their way to positioning themselves where they can make actions speak louder than words; it is their future in the balance, after all. The tragedy is, that many if not most of us in any Here-and-Now cannot or will not see further than our own personal space.

Whatever, there is no room for apathy, and this Here-and-Now needs to show it can move forward, in every sense of the word, not only by way of invention and capability, but also by actively engaging with the greater among its leading players, he or she most trusted to steer the safer course.

My late mother once told me (40+ years ago, when climate change was barely on anyone's agenda) that I should always respect nature. "Earth Mother," she said, like any parent, will fight to the death to save her children, and She is no mean adversary. Anyone who thinks we can continue destroying forests, polluting the seas and killing animals to satisfy dietary preferences and fashion egos ... well, if you ask me, they and all of us are in for a rude awakening one of these days ..."

NATURE v HUMAN NATURE, BATTLE ROYAL

Patch of sky, a brilliant blue
among autumn leaves of red and gold
marking nature's 'live' show
for seeing eye and listening ear
to share one last fling
of a year's fruitfulness before winter
comes (for better, for worse)

Clouds gathering, anxious
not to play second fiddle to a spectacle.
of bright silvery sunlight,
like tears in time's eye, a curtain
sure to fall yet anxious
to be seen entering into the feisty spirit
of things, no missing out

Curtain down on autumn's
show of defiance meant to drive home
its alliance with all things
bright and beautiful, all creatures
great and small, promising
renewal despite a winter as certain to take
its toll as snow sure to fall

Barely have autumn's players
taken a last bow than a cruel north wind,
come to see them on their way,
stirs an out-of-sight, out-of-mind ethos
intended to undermine
any mind-body-spirit that might see itself
as the greater life force

Nature, though, is not yet done
with us, relying on its evergreens to bring
to mind its promises, the likes
of robin redbreast to keep eyes and ears
alert to that same spirit
of hopeful discontent that has seen humanity
rise above its worst winters

Curtain rising, all in due course,
but what is this? An empty stage, no players
rehearsed to act out another cycle
of life personifying humankind's attention
to nurture while promoting
a well-meaningfulness, stage name 'Progress'
for want of a better moniker

It is in the nature of humankind
to improve its lot, no matter the cost, whatever
it takes, but plenty signs already
of nature's matching any human spirit,
consequences for consequences,
cost for cost, season for season, for better
or worse, all things considered


Copyright R. N. Taber 2019

Pleading for the Planet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

[Update : July 30th 2019: We are still reeling from a week of very hot temperatures here in the UK, worse in other parts of Europe. Naturally, people have rushed to the seaside. However, there is no excuse for the appalling state of some  beaches - litter strewed as far as the eye can see - where those responsible simply could not be bothered to take it home and dispose of it there or at least wait until they could find a litter bin. Whatever happened to social conscience? We are polluting our seas, killing off and causing pain to sea creatures who, sadly, have no say in the matter. Until we all start acting more responsibly, it is not only climate change that will damage civilization as we know it, possibly if not probably beyond repair.]

Many if not most of us take nature for granted and use it to our own advantage at every opportunity as if we have every right to do so.

Meanwhile, I suspect Earth Mother whispers much the same in many an inner ear. Ah, but, hey, anyone listening…? Whose conscience pricking them for taking social responsibility so lightly, if at all?

Who is the guardian of whom, I wonder? We of nature or nature of us? Better, surely, that we work with rather than against each other...?

PLEADING FOR THE PLANET

Listen to the rain

telling tales on people

killing each other

Listen to the trees

telling tales on people
disrespecting them

Listen to the birds

telling tales on people

shooting them down

Listen to the fishes

telling tales on people

poisoning the seas

Listen to the worms

telling tales on people

doctoring the soil

Listen to the wind

telling tales of people

on borrowed time

Listen to the people

pleading for the planet

before it’s too late

Copyright R. N. Taber 2015

Global Warnings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

Most if not all of us fancy we see hear voices in the wind from time to time,. Maybe we should  pause and make time to listen...  

Fanciful, you say?  Yes, of course, but sometimes what we digest can do us a whole lot of good…so long as we can keep it down  rather than throw it up because we feel guilty for fancying it in the first place. It is high time we treated the natural world with the respect it deserves, not as a communal rubbish bin; nor killing vanishing species, for whatever reason, without putting safeguards in place to ensure their survival. Humankind has a collective responsibility towards all nature or Earth Mother will take the ultimate revenge, and it may well be the likes of you and me will not be found among any survivors 

GLOBAL WARNINGS

Listen to the rain

telling tales on people

running for cover

Listen to the trees

telling tales on people.

cutting to the quick

Listen to the birds

telling tales on people

shooting them down

Listen to the fishes

telling tales on people

poisoning the seas

Listen to the worms

telling tales on people

doctoring the soil

Listen to the wind

telling tales of people

on life support

Listen to the people

marching for the planet

while we still can

Copyright R. N. Taber 2010

Woodlanders

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

This poem first appeared on the blog in August 2008. It reflects a passion for nature that I trust will never leave me, not least because I associate it with everyone and everything I have ever loved.

Maybe it's the poet in me but I have always felt that, whatever our sex or sexuality, there is a timeless quality about love that cannot help but bring and keep us ever closer to nature. Moreover, although I subscribe to no religion, nor do I believe that relationship ends with death if only because spring always follows winter ...

While I recognise the need to create space to satisfy the housing needs of an ever growing population, deforestation is not only an attack on, it fails to take into account that we need our trees or one day there may well be no need to house any of us; global warming will take care of that.  Trees are one of our greatest allies in our battle against climate change, a battle for which humankind has only itself to blame.

WOODLANDERS

Memories, dancing

on the skin, like a gypsy

tambourine;

the two of us making love

on a battered

trench coat;

swallows nesting above

with concerns

of their own

though, unlike ours,

answerable

to none;

Earth’s music, a glorious

symphony, dying notes

no tragedy,

though we can

but snatch

at time

with child hands delighting

in the picking

of bluebells,

applauding the first

flight of baby

swallows,

sharing nature’s rapture

that will forever

endure

Copyright R. N. Taber 2002; 2016

[Note: This poem has been slightly revised since it first appeared in First Person Plural by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2002.]