In the vertiginous mountains, where the condor soars,
Soaked by the golden rays of Inti,
On the shore of an ancient lake,
Hidden by the morning mist,
Lies a secret for humanity.
It's a village like many others nearby,
In these highlands rich in history,
Straddling antiquity and modernity.
It's a model of human sustainability,
And a source of stability and tranquility.
The contrast with the modern world is stark, you'll see.
People live with humility and dignity, not aggressively.
They live by the golden rule, as they have since antiquity.
And as social inequality grows everywhere in modernity,
Here, people still respect humanity: nobody lives in poverty!
Modernity has encroached on life here too.
That's okay, I say; it's how it should be!
Everyone deserves a minimum of technology,
Even members of this highland community,
Who live and work diligently and sustainably.
They use electricity sparingly,
And cars are a rarity.
The air is nearly chemicals free.
Villagers shun ostentatious living,
And embrace moderation and modesty.
This is no Utopia, believe me.
Life is hard, but people live autonomously,
Not as slaves to commerce and industry.
Most are farmers and artisans, producing and selling goods locally,
And are beholden to nobody.
They live humbly and healthily,
Eating organic foods grown locally:
Including the traditional cuy:
Healthier and more ecologically friendly,
Than the ubiquitous beef burghers of our modernity.
The air is clean, almost pollution free.
When we arrived, our lungs responded with glee.
Some call these people poor, but I disagree:
They're happier and healthier than you and me.
They live modestly and are a model of sustainability.
We consume far more of everything than they do.
Our consumerism is a treadmill with no exit, you know.
The more we consume, the more we long for.
Excessive consumption has consequences too:
High levels of harmful pollution and climate-warming CO2.
Would they like to live like you and me,
In big congested cities, stuck in traffic daily?
Would they like to live in tall concrete trees?
In a world of eight billion people, and growing exponentially,
Living in a tiny village house is actually a luxury.
Ask people anywhere in the world, living on the margins of society.
Ask big-city dwellers, suffering stress and anxiety.
Ask big-industry workers, slaving eight hours, or more, daily,
Treated like mindless robots with no sympathy.
Is it any wonder that big-city people are losing their humanity?
This Andean village, I now call home, is all about humanity,
And living with Nature in harmony!
YOU ARE READING
Earth Poetry
PoetryI'm a dilittante poet, as you will plainly see. But I'm versed in the language of science, and I'm alarmed by what I see. Yes, planet Earth is in peril, and the day of reckoning is near. So, I have turned to poetry, to share with you what I see, fr...
