Who Turned Off the Lights?

I dabbled in environmentalism with this one. It was specifically inspired by seeing the campus sports field floodlights illuminating the sky all night, every night in a weird greenish hue reminiscent of Minas Morgul from 'The Return of the King'. It's visible from Bath to this day if you know where to look.

My general frustration at first year not going quite the way I'd hoped got channelled into a piece of righteous indignation at mankind's disregard for nature. And it's a message I still stand by, unlike a few other things I wrote in first year.

WHO TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS?

Bright lights

White nights

For the birds in the hedgerows and trees.

To sing their songs they strive

But they cannot survive

With no sleep.

Blackbirds have spoken

But now they are broken

By cruel, piercing beams.

Turn off the floodlights and then

They can rest in their nests once again

And have peace.

Turn off the city and wait

For the chorus – not early, not late

But beautifully free.

Nature kills all

And mankind will fall

So don’t get too used to this power.

Short-out, blackout, where are you now?

Couldn’t be bothered with Mars or the Plough

The night sky is new and deadly to you.

Lost through exhaustion

And crushed by ignition

Of too many streetlamps.

Dark days

Music plays

To replace all the birdsong

Killed off by laughing

In the face of the night…

Humanity’s arrogance

Turned off the lights.

Thanks to: Frankie Goes To Hollywood for Black Night White Light, Cat Stevens for Morning Has Broken, and Kate & Anna McGarrigle for Mother Mother.