No longer gold

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Fri, 19 Nov 2021
  • 745 reads
7 comments
 

Coal has been gold
in winter’s cold:
red flames to warm
in chill of storm.

In cities smoke
collected to choke,
so coal that was mined
was mostly confined
to make electricity
to power the city.

But now we deduce
we need to reduce
the gases emitted,
to new ways committed
our homes to warm
to try to conform
to standards of emission –
use wind, tide or sunlight,
or falling water’s might
— or maybe nuclear fusion
if it could be controlled —
a story yet to be told?

 

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Poem
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Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I like your poem Rhiannon, it has a message we all need to ponder on. Some tough decisions to be made in these times of trying to save the planet.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. It is good to remember the blessing of coal and oil in the past too, as we realise our industry especially needs to try to improve their sources of energy and exhaust emissions. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I remember as a child, seeng the blackened buildings being transformed when the centuries of pullution were cleaned from the walls - also the tail end of the terrible smogs we had - and here we are many years later and I see children in some parts of India unable to go to school because of air quality. It is a hard choice Rhiannon, but a necessary one

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks. Of course consumptiopn has increased so much with industry, and large crowded centres of population. And India is trying to 'catch up' with industrialisation. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

What people here call "The Big House", was paid for by coal from Wales, all the rooms made of marble and the murals and huge stairs and carvings came from the work of people cramped under ground in danger and darkness. 

Your poem made me think, how gold is now being replaced by swiping a bank card, and coal by invisible wind. Nothing to touch, to hold, much harder to understand, get a grip on. But the coal was just a stage, gold was just a stage, we didn't always rely on either, we can move on. But we have to share technology, not sell it, we are all fighting the same enemy and we are all on the same side, we must help each other. And for communities that will lose work because of the shift, there must be the benefit of new work from engineering and manufacture of the machinery needed to capture and store natural energy

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I hope so, Di. Coal mining was certainly dangerous, and miners sometimes exploited, though they missed the cameraderie! All good provisions are abused as well as used, including technology, but we must be thankful for what we do have and try to use wisely. And as we have sufficitent energy and warmth, try to live our lives in thankfulness and helpfulness. Rhiannon