[creative writing contest] "I Already Know This Ending"

We’re getting down to the wire,

there are some questions we must start to ask,

they are tough ones - I will warn you of that. 

But they are questions that need answers,

and we must start finding them now,

I feel our world is in danger - look out there my friends - 

we’re in trouble, and I’m not sure if we’ll win.

Why is Elon Musk looking to the stars,

and why won’t we except his solar-powered cars,

no our gas-guzzlers are fine -

who cares about the Earth’s atmosphere,

it’s not like it will kill us - just... some polar bears. 

As humans we’ve become as selfish as we get,

choosing our lives over others, but do we deserve it?

Our ancestors fought tooth and nail for this land

shedding blood that now throbs beneath our feet,

buried under mountains of concrete foundations -

don’t you hear them begging as it trembles and shakes?

They’re trying to show us we’re not as strong as we think.

We build up, we build down, we cover, we patch it - 

but no matter what we do it won’t fix what we’ve started - 

a dominos effect of destruction and carnage. 

The movies may show our technology taking over,

but what you don’t see is what humans do before - 

we turn on each other - we lose trust in one another -

because my life is more important than you or your brother’s.

When the gun goes off I won’t help you - no, not me! - 

I must save myself while you fall to your knees. 

And please don’t ask me for money, I’m too poor myself - 

never mind the flat screen sitting on my shelf - 

at home where my children aren’t allowed to go outside,

so instead they sit facing their computers - their backs turned away from the world.

Windows are nuisances we must shout out that sight - 

so we can instead watch the shadows streaming out from this artificial light. 

We’ve spent centuries as humans trying to get out of the cave,

only to build ourselves a better one... our ancestors have been betrayed.

No, we didn’t fulfill the work of the great dreamers before,

we took their technology and sat down on the floor.

Caves now have carpet, stones are now leather, 

instead of shadows on the wall we see angry birds aflutter.

We’ve tucked ourselves away from the horrors of our world,

senseless tragedies and accidents are too much for our eyes,

save the children from hearing about the suffering and lies. 

No, let’s not teach them the nature of these terrible acts,

then they will grow up not knowing any of the facts - 

they too will then keep their children in at night,

in the hopes that they will never be affright.

But at school they meet children from all walks of life,

no telling what they’ll learn, and if they’ll know what’s right - 

see we’ve lost the ability to teach our children right from wrong,

we’re so caught up in the politics of what’s ethical and true -

It’s too religious, not moral - whose side do you choose? 

When, what should matter the most, at the end of the day,

is teaching our children to love, respect and know it’s okay, 

that we may be different by blood but not in our nature -

we’re all humans, and this is our world - 

we can save it... or let it die by our own hands - 

we’re off to a good start, wouldn’t you say so my dear friend? 

This next story is sad, there are no fairytales here... 

...I once sat down with my family to watch a movie about the future,

and as I watched I began to fear, 

that this movie I’m watching is too close to the truth -

so I stand up to leave, and I walk across the room - 

my family asks where I’m going - 

the movie suspending - 

as I turn and say...

...“I’m sorry, but I already know this ending.”