Saturday 21 February 2009

In Another World.

Earlier in the week I read where a scientist said he was sure that there was no planet in our galaxy which could sustain life but that almost certainly there were planets in other galaxies which had advanced life forms on them.
Now, today, I read that the Kepler telescope will spend the next three and a half years locating planets. The article, in today's Times (where else?)says the results will "define mankind's place in the Universe by establishing whether planets that can sustain life are common, or if Earth is an extraordinary exception."
This dilemma seems to have been the pre-occupation of sci-fi writers for generations. I remember being in the thrall of HG Wells's "War of the Worlds", written in 1898. As a teenager (long after that date I hasten to add) I devoured every word and had difficulty sleeping at night for fear the Martians might come while I was asleep!
I really hope they never find anything which could be reached in a lifetime. If they did then there would no doubt be a mad scramble by countries over who had first call on its mineral resources. It seems to me, as a species we have absolutely no possibility of ever living in peace, of ever sharing out resources so that we have equal call on them. I have never understood how we could have Butter Mountains and Grain Mountains when half the world was suffering from famine (please don't try to tell me why - my brain is tired of trying to understand these world problems and I want none of it).

Another World

They say
if you exist
you are
a thousand light-years far
away from here.
And that bright star
that glitters in the clear night sky
and promised life,
has none.

And then they say
that if you do exist
and try to visit us,
you'd have to fly
for several lifetimes
just to reach our world
and stand among us.
I say to you don't try!

You'ld find that
famine, war, religious strife
take up a major part of life.
Stay where you are.
Your distant star
is home -
and you are peaceful folk
or so I like to hope.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

Weaver! What a lovely new header. I like the view from your window. And a wonderful poem!

Enjoy the weekend.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Love the light in your new header!

I often wonder whether creatures from other planets would bother trying to make contact with us....

Jenn Jilks said...

Some of us live in peace, Weaver!
I have high hopes that we are learning. Not all, not everywhere, but I have hope!

The photo in your header is full of the promise of spring. That gives me hope!

We are all cogs in the wheel. We all have our place - if not us, then who?

Grizz………… said...

Surely—surely!—you can't be that green over there already. Lovely header shot, though.

Moreover, a nice piece and a really fine poem.

Acornmoon said...

It would be nice though, don't you think? A little less lonely to think that life could exist in a far off place. It amazes me that the moon is already mapped and "owned".

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Of course there are planets in other galaxies with life - Camelopardalis! And we are peaceful ...

I love your poem Weaver, and your new header is beautiful - uplifting and full of the light of Spring.

Annie Wicking said...

At last, spring is on its way, Weaver has a warm header....LOL

It's a beautiful view from your window and a lovely poem too.

Best wishes my dear friend.

(((Hugs)))

Annie

Jinksy said...

Why look to the heavens when such beauty lies outside your own window? Couldn't blame a spaceman for wanting to share it, though...

Cat said...

I find comfort and excitement in thoughts of other worlds and someone out there in space. Maybe I've been reading Sci Fi too long but I love the thoughts of not being alone.
I love your new header. So much green! Your poem is beautiful just like your view.

Leenie said...

I certainly agree that we have enough problems here without spreading them around the universe. Enjoyed the poetry.

Gwil W said...

Lovely new springlike photo and an intriguing poem to go with it.

Perhaps the little green men are already here?
If they came across millions of light years to study the primitive life form known as homo sapiens the lgm's would make themselves invisible so that we couldn't try and kill them.

A scientist on the radio recently said that everything is a hologram.

Best just to get on with it. As I see it each one of us is 15,000,000 years old renewable energy.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thank you Derrick. We are going out into our countryside for lunch in the beautifully named Ravenstone dale - doesn't that conjure up an image of remoteness? The Carlisle to Settle railway runs through it but for the hilly part is underground so it doesn't spoil the view.

The Weaver of Grass said...

c.g.p. - I am sure they wouldn't if they knew what our way of life was like.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Good to read of your hope Jenn - I think you are right but sometimes, when terrible things happen, it is easy to lose that hope (for me anyway).

The Weaver of Grass said...

Scribe - the photograph was taken last Autumn when I did a post on looking out of the window - but I would say, if anything, it is greener now. The last few days have been dry, sunny, cool and windy and everywhere has dried up very well, apart from where the snow was pushed into great heaps -it still melts away slowly and causes such a mess.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Yes acornmoon - I suppose it wouldbe nice - in theory - but I don't think I would like to chance it. And yes - too - about "owning" the moon - why are we all so acquisitive?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks Raph for the compliment on the header - I took the photo for my post last Autumn on the view from my window. It was taken the early morning, when the light from the east was just catching the trees.
A planet of Cameleoparalis sounds good -I would like that but am a bit scared in case they would kick.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks annie and jinksy - that you both like my new header.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks Cathy. I am afraid sci-fi is not on my reading list - I can never get into it, somehow.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks Leenie. I suppose all problems are relative - I am going out to lunch today and over breakfast we did speak about those people in the world who don't know where today's lunch is coming from. It is impossible, from our pampered existence, to imagine that.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Poet - I was about to ask what an Igm looks like, then realised that you couldn't tell me, if they are invisible.
As to everything being a hologram - my brain is what I like to think of as a Curry's version, so I don't think I can get my head round that.
Am off out to lunch via Pendragon Castle, so I will give it a wave from you.

Gwil W said...

Thanks for the wave, and a lovely robin photo. No robins in my garden. Just two crows and a lot of gatsch and slush.