I was very briefly shown the end of the world
just a glimpse is all you need
It was flat and grey with an odd filmy essence you could call celestial fog
that neither high beams nor low beams could penetrate
and it had no dimension whatsoever
just an expanse of nothingness
drifting, drifting into more nothingness
apparently for all eternity
that is, if the end can be considered an eternity
I, for one, am not sure
except I know what I have seen
For a long time I had stopped watching the news
so over-stimulating
with its disturbing, graphic images
garish dancing banners
and the ceaseless yammering of well-coiffed talking heads
And now
since my intimate vision of oblivion
I have stopped reading it, too
except for the occasional headline
which is more than enough
to reaffirm
that we are a most vain,
idiotic,
and destructive species
And I am convinced
that when the planet has finally had a bellyful of our nonsense
magnificent nature will carry on beautifully
and,
in her infinite wisdom,
unceremoniously dispose of us
as so much cosmic dust
to drift in the flat grayness of nothingness.

Patricia Martin is an author, poet, performer/actor, and writer/communications professional. The creator and host of “SpeakEasy” monthly poetry/spoken word series, Martin has been heard on The Woodstock RoundTable/WDST, Women of Note/WKZE, and is on the monthly panel of She’s Raising theBar radio show. Author of one humor book and five nonfiction books, she collaborated on a spoken word and music CD with composer/producer/musician Gus Mancini.