Humility on the Face of the Earth

Sonnet on natural disasters and the powerlessness of Man to stop them. Contest entry.

Humility on the Face of the Earth


The Earth condemns a village at a time,
eviction notice carried to the door
on water, wind, or geologic grime
by Keeper of the atmosphere and shore.
When Nature made our proudest cities fall
in places like Atlantis and Pompeii,
the warnings came too late or not at all
as dozers, unaware, were dozed away.
And now, as fires, blizzards, floods, and gales
consume the network news, we lie awake.
Computers can't determine twisters' trails
nor can a seismograph prevent a quake.
Our satellites watch over lands and seas
but still, we're only grasping for the keys.