Long-lived Enough (Poetry)

I’ve little left of this life’s span
it’s mostly squandered — gone
I’ve not much hope — just this cheap pen
as crutch to lean upon

Blood is words — these red ideas
flow free in dread’s full flood
the End of Days is looming near
sun doomed to sink in mud

I stain the paper — black its skin
some voice not quite my own
I strain to hear through thick and thin
to nail that gloomy tone

A warning clear as any bell
tolled prophesies before
Mankind all headed straight to Hell
for countless acts of war

But no one listens — reads or learns
with IQs dense as wood
emperors fiddle — Rome still burns
the future’s far from good

I’m bound to pass the message on
while breath and strength allow
I’ve wasted time but I’m not done
there’s just the here and now

And a slim chance to stem the tide
and save one drowning man
from all the shipwrecked souls that died
since tragedies began

Now Frankenstein manipulates
turns Adam more like Eve
while Nature quickly demonstrates
that He/Shes can’t conceive

No conscience rules ambitious minds
or vetos crazy plans
what mad creator ever finds
mere doubt will stay his hands?

The robot in the cupboard sits
all charged for his first run
world history blown clean to bits
our writer loads his gun

There’s no Tin Man in Paradise
the Good Book got that right
ironically age pays the price
long-lived enough we fight