Thursday, October 19, 2017

No. CLXXXIV: FINIS?

Three-quarters of flying insects in nature reserves across Germany have vanished in 25 years, with serious implications for all life on Earth, scientists say
Putting this simply
with minimal fuss:
the fly in the ointment?
Apparently us.

Volcanoes and meteors
could do us in
or rising seas
or pollution.

Which brings us (again!)
to Fermi's question:
in time and space
are we the only “intelligent” race?

Likely as not 
others came and went.
Intelligence being
a failed experiment.

This is not about our burning coal
or running solutions up the flagpole.
We are the ones for whom the bells toll,
extinction being our ultimate goal.