Lack Of Ambition Poem by Mary Champion

Hubris!

Arrogance!

Presumption!

That is the mocking cry
whenever our ambition outstrips our comprehension,
when we struggle to improve our lot,
creating as many problems as we solve
in the process.

Trying to play God!

Going against Nature!

We cure diseases
only to create an aging society;
clean up the water supply
and pollute the air we need to breathe.
All those delightful consumer goods
bequeath us a planet knee-deep in plastic.
The mass travel!
The melting ice-caps!
The ubiquitous communication -
the online bullying and cyber-crime.

 
Whose fate are we destined to share?

Icarus?

Prometheus?

Or is this but a temporary blip
in our inevitable progress?
Will wisdom come to our rescue
so that we can learn to anticipate the pitfalls?

At the end of time
will we look back and say
that we should have aimed higher? -
not to prolong life
but to attain immortality;
not to accept the shoddy, crumbling stuff -
this stuff we call physical matter-
as the ultimate in human creativity
when we could have perfection.

Will we realise that plastic's flaw was that
it did not last long enough
that it was too difficult to recycle,
that perfect matter is as simple to switch on and off
as a light beam.
Will we understand
that where there is no decay
there is no pollution
and that when we all live within our means,
sharing all things equally,
there will be no famine and no excess.
Will we realise
that aiming for the stars
was to aim too low
when we should have had Heaven in our sights?