The Species God Forgot
A poem by Michael Hawkes
What force can be applied to stop the killing?
Is no power strong enough to intervene?
“Of course.’’ Someone replied, except it’s thrilling;
It’s the ultimate transgression,
With the lure of the obscene.
The terror in the children’s empty eyes,
The anguish in their mother’s empty hands;
The horror of a culture’s deliberate demise,
The finality of rubble-covered lands.
The de-humanizing degradation,
The pain of torture and humiliation
Of their men folk chills us all…
Paralyzed with fascination,
Willing grim determination,
As anything aspiring has to fall.
No, there’s not a power on Earth to stop
The strongest motive man has got…
This hatred of that other lot…
We’re the species god forgot
And only human after all.
5/3/24 – Hawkes
Feature image: Hasan Almasi – Unsplash 
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[/col][col size=”10″]Michael Hawkes was a cherished poet and contributor whose work enriched the pages of WestmountMag.ca with its sensitivity and depth. Over the years, he entrusted us with a rich body of poems, of which only a portion has yet been published. His passing leaves a profound void, but the poems still to come will continue inspire all who were moved by his voice.[/col][/row]