By the winter of 2020,swimming was a required subject inpublic and private primary schools.Worldwide flooding was increasing daily,and concerned parents gave children extrawater time, extra wilderness training.The goal was survival, with or withoutgills, but the more time submerged in waterthe more possible was transformation.The gills came at puberty, along withan ability (when underwater)to absorb plant life and small bio forms.Some say prejudice caused the water’s rise,and some say climate change acted alone,but everyone wants their children to thrive.
For my prompt
Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Flood
Reposted for For earthweal weekly challenge: EVOLU-SONGS
My blog poems are rough drafts.
Please respect my copyright.
© 2017 Susan L. Chast
Great way to project on the future how it might look. Especially the last stanza is very powerful Yes everyone wants their children to live. The only worry is will they realise it when it is nearly to late
ReplyDeleteHow I wish it were true that we could adapt to a flooded planet. I don't know about gills I would think a hole in the head like dolphins and whales might be more appropiate as that is the way we have been behaving over the last few years. Despite that comment the poem was lovely Susan.
ReplyDeleteWow, and apocalypse is three short years away. We had better start swimming lessons now. Very cool, Susan.
ReplyDeleteWe can certainly hope for the best for the next generation
ReplyDeleteI suppose life will always find a way... but will those mutated forms be human...?? Reminds me of a movie called waterworld I think that imagined some sort of post apocalyptic scenario... Scary!
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ReplyDeleteA somber and dark portrayal indeed!
Powerful words. I just do not understand why those who want their children to thrive would deny climate change. No matter how much we would hope, I doubt humans will develop the ability to grow gills.
ReplyDeleteEveryone wants their children to thrive...very true Susan. Though as a whole it is fiction...it certainly does make one think.
ReplyDeleteGreat final message/ truth ("everyone wants their children to thrive") All else... (words)
ReplyDeleteNot so difficult to imagine what sounds like science fiction. Anything is possible. Wonderful write, Susan.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you have found the ultimate question for all of us. Do you want your children to survive and thrive?
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
In spite of it all, there is hope in your poem. I too hope that people's children will thrive and grow - with or without gills.
ReplyDeleteOh oh...back to water once again. And then wait a million year for the land to arrive; then slowly step up the ladder of evolution, be human & then again back to water. Love this Sci-fi poem Susan & a thought provoking one.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness this is good! Your final stanza completely blew me away! Beautifully penned!
ReplyDeleteYour poem essays the cycle of life, very brilliantly written :)
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, drowning proofing was a required course at my Alma Mater, Georgia Tech.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating look at our future! I enjoyed it so much, Susan! I always loved the water and would love to see the bottom of the ocean for myself.
ReplyDeletethis gives much to think....a very unique way to put that insight...great!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful poem⁄
ReplyDeleteThe circle completed; we came from water and we go back to water. An interesting prediction, Susan, which is believable. The two lines that made me sit up are:
ReplyDelete‘The gills came at puberty, along with
an ability (when underwater)
to absorb plant life and small bio forms’
and
‘Some say prejudice caused the water’s rise,
and some say climate change acted alone’ –
great use of personification.
And now 2020 is here and worse than we ever dreamed. We need to make social justice required learning in schools - maybe also in legislatures.
ReplyDeleteOf course, gills would take us backwards to when life started in the great oceans. This reminded me of that song from the 80s - https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zcsNjAtzLJIKzJg9NLOVMjIL0hVKMlIVSgqLS7OTMwrVsjJLwOLZBYpJGdk5qQUpeYplOTnAwBFLhSR&q=i+hope+the+russians+love+their+children+too&oq=I+hope+the+Russians+love&aqs=chrome.1.0j46j69i57j69i64l3.7097j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
ReplyDeleteThe danger is real.
The line about parents wanting their children to thrive is the key to evolution - the deepest biological imperative. Perhaps homo sapiens will grow fins and gills for the world its drowning, but I doubt we can achieve that in 100 or 200 years. Cetaceans returned to the ocean 50 million years ago. Our tools will help us survive, then probably survive us. Oh well. I love the tone of this -- a future narrative calmly retold, while all the violence of that transformation is simply impled. Great stuff. - Brendan
ReplyDeleteSarah! The Russians. I had forgotten. Good!
ReplyDeleteThis is very clever and as Brendan says , the calm narrative voice is particularly good, adds menace...JIM
ReplyDeleteWe are a very resilient species. That is why we hsve been so successful in overrunning rhe world. But I fear that soon we may be in over our heads. If only we could learn to swim with the tide and go woth the flow and be good to our planet
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