Is the human touch the Anthropocene age?
Human progress (supposedly) on the march,
Passing on to the new stage,
A sift of view, with lots of starch.
So much of Earth has man’s scar,
Intense in times of revolution,
Industry has carried us so far,
We think all issues have a solution.
Maybe the elites are just bored,
Worrying about land and sea,
Preaching a green idea adored.
Their somber views have too much glee.
Make room for a clean green vision,
The Anthropocene sphere is here to stay,
We travel roads without collision,
With nature’s freedom to arrive and play.
Civilization may yet touch the horde,
And, keep a sheath for the sword.
Francis Conlon is a retired and recovering teacher. For the past 20 years, he has worked as a seasonal river ranger and boat inspector at Yampa River State Park in northwest Colorado. He has published in the local Valley Voice and in Westward Quarterly. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.