Globes

Globes

I've replaced
my old world globe,
a gift from many years ago,
with a recently updated,
illuminated one,

one that represents
the world of today, our
timeline of history having
passed the old one by.

The Union of the Soviet
Socialist Republics messily
breaking apart like so many
bad marriages.

The countries of Africa
redrawing borders with blood-
filled pens; old Imperial monikers
out, Africanized ones in.

Looking forward,
if I live long enough, another
updated globe will surely have
to replace my current one,

a globe that reflects
the effects of global warming,
islands that once flourished now
under ocean blue; a lot more blue
as coastlines shrink.

For the present, I'll just give
my new globe a spin, point at a spot
upon its surface, and randomly pick
a mystery destination.

As for the old globe?
In my mind I launched it into
deep space, to a quadrant where
old worlds go to be archived,

while in reality,
I unceremoniously popped it
into my car trunk, and dropped
it off at the Goodwill.

--G. O. Clark