the starving dance

Gold cherry

By maybeamelia

Mon, 12 Oct 2026
  • 677 reads
9 comments
 

the beginning came suddenly

rain, fire, and ash

cities extinguished from their place

all in an instant

 

“the war to end all wars” they said

but they did not expect mankind

to push the limits of senselessness

and return themselves to the age 

of sticks and stones

 

an existence hardly worth living

ruled by hunger, fear, and desperation

trust being a rare luxury 

and friends even rarer

 

a return to darwinism

survival of the fittest, dog eat dog antics

humanity stripped to its bare elements

the survivors abandoned to fight among the scraps

 

whoever emerged from the ruins

left to huddle around a fire

and engage

in the starving dance

 

 

 

 

Certificate PG
Poem

Comments

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I wonder sometimes if this is the Good Old Days some politicians and tech billionaires want to go back to

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

I think there are a number of powerful people who think it would be quite fun to watch 'other' survivors fighting among the scraps, while the powerful themselves shelter in whatever bunkers they have fled to. It's basically what they do now. They maybe need to brush up on their history. Those bunkers are not impregnable.

Your imagery is very haunting. Really drew me into this poem.

Submitted by Ewan on

 are buying up land in the wilds of Argentina - particularly in Barriloche - and building Bond-Villain Lairs with libraries that contain sll the signed versions of Atlas Shrugged and Mein Kampf that money can buy. It's not going to be fun - unless the Grim Reaper comes to the rescue and wields his scythe to cut down the Tangerine Tyrant and the Vlad the Invader before its too late.

Lucky for us Jane, that we're nearer the finish line than the start. My heart breaks over the mess we'll leave behind us.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by Ewan on

  Well done, stark poetry conjuring an all-too-likely future.
Do please share this excellent poem on your SM, fellow ABCTalers.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by SoulFire77 on

I loved this! Distopia is one of my favorite themes. I believe that everyone senses just how fragile civilization can be, that is why we return to this theme again and again.

Good job!

 

 

Submitted by Ewan on

 https://www.abctales.com/collection/totentanz

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by GlosKat on

I read JG Ballard's novel High Rise shortly after the book was published.  I was only young then, but it shocked me how quickly our 'civilisation' could break down. And then 45 years later we all got a taste of that when Covid hit - people fighting in the supermarket aisles over toilet rolls and handwash.  

I also read Atlas Shrugged which Ewan mentioned above, and here we really are where the mega wealthy are starting new kingdoms in South America, rather than off-planet, where the richer you are the more votes you get.  

It breaks my heart to think how all completely unnecessary it is.  What a wonderful world it would be if we all worked together and the squillions of dollars spent on 'defence' were spent on food production and education and housing and health care.  Why don't we do it ?  It's baffling to me. It seems that the people in power have actually chosen to be violent, divisive bullies. Including in what is supposed to be the world's greatest democracy.  

Well written Amelia.  You have said so much in so few words.

 

Submitted by maybeamelia on

yea the genre is definitely a good outlet to explore interesting themes like the true nature of humanity, whether we are innately good or evil, and the bonds that make us...me personally i would LOVE to see more utopian fiction, i think it's much more valuable to explore optimism and to just imagine what an ideal society/world might look like... thx for the comment!

 

Submitted by celticman on

we are one or two bob short of the gravy train, say again, only one planet...