Progress | Teen Ink

Progress

March 15, 2013
By Tianshij SILVER, Bochum, Other
Tianshij SILVER, Bochum, Other
7 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Veins of cities, vibrant, flowing
With electricity and greed
Lidless eyes, pulsating, glowing
Shed cold light upon the streets

Buzzing beehive, clockwork ticking
With daily incomes, tax and trade
Growing, swelling, paving, bricking
Trees and hills and rivers fade

A sky of scrapers, starless glowering
The fortresses of wealth and glass
Stand unmoving, prideful, towering
Where wild horses once ate grass

A sleepless dawn, merciless rising
Of the Sun, a ball of gas
Golden cages of man’s devising
Still can’t replace the world that was

A falcon soars, above the frowning
Shining strongholds men have built
Far below the earth is groaning
High rise the tides, the harvest wilts




A barren land, a future lost
Forgotten by the human race
A blooming dream, the bitter cost
A broken heart, a bleeding face

Until the highest towers fall
The earth whispers with living trees
Beauty, Freedom, Nature all
Will be a set of memories.


The author's comments:
My family loves to travel. On one of our countless trips, we set out to the National Parks, Yosemite in particular. Seeing the unkempt beauty reminded me of how rare a sight this was and how much it is worth to be experienced, not just remembered. Modern cities that are praised for their unique charm could not compete with the sheer majesty of the thundering waterfalls. I hope this poem gives you occasion to wonder where our society is heading, what we should do with the "progress" in our lives and what we are willing to pay for it. Enjoy.

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