The Future
I’ve always been curious
about the centuries before
I was born, now I worry
about the years I will miss.
I must admit my mind
tells me that the world
at present is taking a turn
for the worse, as if things
weren’t terrible enough
as they are. Temperatures
will climb, water will rise,
bad weather of all sorts
will wreak havoc across
our vulnerable globe.
China, smiling benignly
as if nothing were wrong,
will spread tendrils, taking
whatever its empire needs.
As for us, will we be up
to the task of defending
our identity or integrity?
Will the dumb keep
dumbing down, the smart
still outsmart themselves,
and whatever the case is,
however unacceptable,
will it be accepted?
© William Heath
William Heath has published three poetry books, The Walking Man, Steel Valley Elegy, and Going Places; a chapbook, Night Moves in Ohio; three novels, The Children Bob Moses Led (winner of the Hackney Award), Devil Dancer, and Blacksnake’s Path; a work of history, William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest (winner of two Golden Spur Awards); and a collection of interviews, Conversations with Robert Stone. www.williamheathbooks.com
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