unlike the stories
of dystopian wastelands
research shows
following natural disasters
in times of real crisis
we're more likely
to find
aid
from our brothers and sisters
than their blades
at our throats
and rapes
in our homes
the world shows
in times
of natural disaster
we're more likely
to expose
the best in us
than
the worst
we're far more likely
to help
than to harm
the already
harmed
it's enough
to give us hope
that maybe we're not
what we far too often
appear to be
we are
creatures of nature
so the disasters
of our civilizations
are perhaps
natural too
like the earthquake
demolishing a city
our civilizations
settling
at rock bottom
our disasters
attritive instead of acute
a tortuous
prolonged descent
a slow poisoning of our well
driving us mad
over decades
rather than
overnight
the natural disaster
of a civilization
a slow degeneration
into unnecessary
military massacres
genocides and holocausts
nuclear decimation
and ethnic cleansings
a slow
chronic disease
of festering
metastasizing
hate
fearmongering
political and religious
polarization
tribalism
radicalism
irrationality
and violence
rock bottom
as a civilization
through cruelty and torment
the natural disaster
of our civilization
the necessary
preamble of destruction
decay
dehumanization
before the phoenix
of our humanity
can ever
arise
nature calls
with floods
and fires
beckoning us
to be our best
yet man's disasters
far less dramatic
far more subtle
in their decline
degenerating us
bit by bit
till we've tortured and tormented
enough
too much
shamed by our cruelty
and stupidity
that maybe
it'll call upon
our humanity
like nature's
earthquakes
tornados
volcanos
tsunamis
and landslides
to finally fix
for a while
the calamity
we've created
we are
after all
creatures of duality
capable in great things
following the disaster
and capable
of great horrors
and evil
in creating it
mrobins71 