PETER'S HUMAN TERRA
Peter ten Cate is an unforgettable person, born in Indonesia of Dutch parents just prior to the Japanese occupation.
His father was forced into slave labour to work on the Burma rail line, where he died. His mother, brother, and himself
were put into a POW camp for 3 1/2 years. His mother, who understood nutrition, added what she could find to the communal
cooking pot, including cockroaches, to ensure her family's survival; and survive they did.
The mother and her two sons returned to Holland after the war, and then later they emigrated to South Africa. Peter came
to Canada as an adult.
Peter's children were young twenty years ago when he agonized about the state of the planet. He felt compelled to write
the work that follows. It has never been printed before.
1980 -- Human Terra
I had a dream and wonder why I heard our little children cry.
"The world will change no doubt no doubt; with joy and laughter we will shout."
That's our thought of present time, but look around you; is it fine?
Or are our factories in production adding further mad destruction?
And the atom bombs we make, is it not a great mistake?
The chemicals we dump and spill will likely grow us more than ill.
How blind and stupid we can be; with reasoned reason, we do not see.
Our minds no thought of future grief, we take for granted with belief,
that in a far and distant time, all will turn out good, and fine.
That people are unique is true; let's give credit where it is due.
We've built our bridges, towers high, exacting travels in the sky.
We sing and dance and play together; reap of joys in any weather,
So now it must be understood, that Homo sapiens are good.
But what of suffering and the pain, cold and lonely in the rain;
starvation and seduction; and what of visible corruption?
or the pending nuclear error, which leaps us into terror?
As soon as things go bad and wrong, we change to those of not so strong.
We look and search and stretch our brain for someone else to take the blame,
and hope life's quality will last, as it has done so in the past.
For surely we have not forgotten, in years gone by - we've been rotten,
to dodos, Incas, slaves and whales; they make the wildest and gory tales.
The sad destruction that we cause, for which we aim to gain applause;
the best of us cannot ignore, that in our hearts we think of war.
We carry on a blind emotion, showing not our true devotion.
With justified unreason, we are to the world as treason.
Now many of us will debate, that we are governed here by fate,
or other reason we will find, to name ourselves of Godly kind.
Yet now it matters not you see, of why we are, or came to be,
If still we fail to understand, that future 'life' is in our hand.
So wake up, wake up, greedy band, think not of money when of land,
Avoid the drive, that blind ambition, seeking greater recognition,
To wake one day without a hope, discover that we just can't cope.
Feeling then so down - depressed; that follow up is heart arrest,
or other ache and chronic ill, for which there is no curing pill.
And then look back at all lost gain; discover life was just in vain.
Just look around you if you dare, and make yourselves that more aware,
of lead, monoxides, acid rain; that these are not of asset gain.
The dolphins, elephants, and others, and what about the seal pup mothers?
Asbestos, poisons, atom waste, not one of us would wish to taste,
or breathe these things that we do make. Oh, look around for Terra's sake.
'To be or not to be', it was once said; let's study this before were dead,
or do we all so boldly dare, to shut our eyes and just not care?
Exhibiting a faulty pride, and very seldom satisfied.
Oh, what a happy bunch are we, but with reason do not see,
the evils in our lofty place, formed with brain of human race,
So, from the heart we are not so smart - to give our globe a brand new start.
"The world will change not doubt, no doubt. With joy and laughter we will shout."
At last--- I'm done, and with a sigh .......Yet still I hear our children cry.
Peter ten Cate
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