THE SHIFT

It’s true humanity has been adrift,
Off its true course for most of history;
Yet now, if only for necessity,
We need to chart our way and make a shift.

In doing so we must be sure and swift,
For now our power stands at its apogee,
And its abuse forebodes catastrophe—
Our planet cannot stand a seismic rift.

We’ve tried dominion, conquest, and harsh rule
But only recently democracy,
And that not well; it’s still a clumsy tool:
Competing interests seek supremacy.

When we cooperate, forgive, resolve,
We’ll see at last humanity evolve.

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