Egocentrism

“The boy began to delight in his daring flight, and abandoning his guide, drawn by desire for the heavens, soared higher.” – from The Story of Icarus by Ovid

People ruled that “I” is the first and only important letter of the alphabet and, that it shall remain the last.

The Era of Altruism is dead and buried.

We worship crisp green bills, nuclear bombs, and bodies of eternal youth.

The Garden of Eden is built by machines and

Erected from the glimmering ashes of Nature’s past.

Money’s value has become more important than human values.

And yet, our search for Zeus’ temple continues.

Too blinded by greed to realize that

The great halls of marble lie abandoned.

White pillars of hope cracked and toppled

Left to crumble to dust under civilization’s boot heel.

Wings crafted from titanium and real goose feathers and

Millions of followers instead of fathers for the flight and

Vanity enough for an army and destiny foretold by us.

Daedalus’ warnings are left unheeded

We keep soaring higher and higher.

But, one day, we too,

Will feel our wings burn to smoldering ash

And come crashing down from our high rises,

To hit the dark waves with their foaming jaws at full force.

Our bones will shatter at the impact like white marble.

Even gods have a breaking point.