New Year’s Eve in the Anthropocene

Source: national geographic.org
Before you party, pray
the party soon goes away
because we’ve slam
danced Earth to bits
and it’s Time
(poor, old Man)
coming back to a home
all trashed who keeps on
yelling “STOP!”

Oh heart! Oh heart!
What have we done?
All the treasure hoarded
in our ballooning ventricles
has been crushed by the fierce
contractions of our steroid-muscles.
It’s Time
(poor, dumb Kid)
growing up in Nowhereland
who can’t get outside
to play.

Before you sack your Xmas tree
or pack its plastic surrogate
away in the manger
of your self-storage locker,
make a little vow to the coming year:
I pledge, to the best of my ability,
to keep all living trunks connected to their roots
while cutting off as many ties
as possible to phony petroleum products.

 It’s Time
(hate to say it, folks)
we got serious
or religious
or ingenious
(better yet all three)
about the downward ticking clock
3…2…1…
Happy New ???

Before you party, pray
and if this Time
you don’t get past prayer,
somehow I don’t think
it will be a night completely wasted.

 

Greg Kennedy, SJ works as a spiritual director at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre in Guelph, Ontario. He is author of Reupholstered Psalms volumes I, II, and III; and Amazing Friendships between Animals and Saints (Novalis Press).

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5 Comments
  • Mary.c.Johnston
    Posted at 09:08h, 31 December Reply

    The best New Years message I’ve seen yet! Thankyou I’m sending it on hoping it will make us all think and not ignore the part each of us play in the destruction of our earth.

  • Wendy McCreath
    Posted at 09:18h, 31 December Reply

    Couldn’t agree more. We only need to look at what’s happening in Australia to see where the future leads us if we don’t shape up. Happy New Year indeed.

  • Peter Bisson SJ
    Posted at 09:56h, 31 December Reply

    Thank you Greg!

  • Lisa Calzonetti
    Posted at 18:42h, 31 December Reply

    Hope and action all rolled into one…..grazie my brother!

  • Leela Sandrasagra
    Posted at 11:13h, 04 January Reply

    Dear Greg,

    As I said: it is God’s gift to you, keep up he will guide your fingers to a more wider space of writing.
    Thank you, for sharing . I had passed your work to Junior as he loves writing poetry as well.

    Leela S

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