We forged our world with fire, steel, and coal,
Unleashed the atom’s power, beyond control.
Industrial dreams, relentless, bold and vast,
Now threaten to undo us—future fading fast.

The Earth endures our seismic plague,
Pursuing “progress” for reasons vague.
We crown ourselves wise, Earth’s caretakers,
Yet pave over beauty as blind undertakers.

Our clever tools, a double-edged sword,
Shape fleeting empires we can scarce afford.
They promise us insight, a future remade,
Yet deepen the chaos their makers evade.

Our knowledge grows vast, but wisdom wears thin—
Lost in the labyrinth our minds are trapped in.
We barter tomorrow for comfort today,
Ignoring the warnings of systemic decay.

The screens that surround us reflect what we crave,
But offer no shelter from what we must brave.
The future grows darker with each passing year,
As we feast on delusions and swallow our fear.

We hunger for meaning as our yearning heart bleeds,
Mistaking convenience for the world’s dying needs.
Haunted by purpose we never attain,
We recycle our folly and suffer the pain.

So we toast to progress with a self-satisfied grin,
Counting profits as proof of the virtue within.
As we march ever forward, convinced we’re wise,
Blind to the cliff just ahead of our eyes.

We drift through our dreaming, mere shadows that pass,
Mistaking reflections for truths that won’t last.
The world turns without us, untroubled, complete—
A butterfly stirs, and forgets our brief feet.