BradfordToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following poem was submitted by Walter Prokopchuk.
Battles
So, World War III, perhaps is here — definitely austere:
We’re fighting foes, on many fronts, intrepidly we steer.
And recent foe — the whole world knows, that COVID-19 spreads,
Mutates at will, making us ill — new deadly plague man dreads,
As we recall last hundred years, when Spanish Flu took lives:
Millions of souls, lost at great costs, to all them who’d survive.
Then secondly, Earth’s climate change, increases its ruin’s range,
With forest fires, tornadoes, floods, snow storms and hurricanes,
And faulted earthquakes swallow life, and crush all in their paths;
Together these all perpetrate, the will of Mother Nature’s wrath.
Yet while scientists warn us of, Earth’s doom-impending days;
Mankind denies the facts and still, upholds its reckless ways.
Pain filled effects — would there be some, that we’ve not all endured?
Such that, in recent years we’ve sought, what be evasive cure.
And these effects of one disease, that spreads with rampant speed,
To kill all species by known cause: man’s universal greed.
Then, thirdly scourge, that seems forever: Will it end — seems never?
As battling nations cull populations, through their evil endeavours.
At recess time — effectively — we rid the schoolyard bully!
Then why not oust radicals that reign, their people ruthlessly?
So let’s exchange our Wants for Needs; next: fix our Planet’s Health;
Lastly: replace all Hate with Love, so All may share Earth’s Wealth.
Acceptance — too, inclusion — need, remove all doubt: a must;
So varied skin pigments be, received, and granted trust.
For colour can’t measure one’s traits, solely by how he looks,
As critique of one novel can’t, judge merit of all books.
And neither should religion, nor, the tongues whence all be born,
Exclude them from Democracy, to which we here have sworn.
Thus, this be my sole recipe, that all men can afford:
Repair our Earth, restore her worth, sow peace, reap sought accord.
Walter Prokopchuk
Bradford
