Signs of the End
By John Herlihy

On the earth, in the sky, on the horizon there portends,
Universal signs that will emerge to signify the coming end,
Prophecies, if you will, that unveil the heart of the matter,
Foretelling to make the human heart beat pitter-patter.
Nothing on the physical plane of existence lives forever;
On this point, the law of thermo-dynamics is very clever.
The momentous tale will end; the ball of yarn will unravel.
The world will reach its outer edge at the strike of a gavel.

One sign that the end is near can be seen in the swinging door;
The earth mother will take on the appearance of a seedy whore.
No person, man or woman, will be able to buy anything or sell,
Without the mark of the beast that all the revelations foretell.
The perfidious practice of usury will all but pervade the land;
No one will have power of ownership, just standing in quicksand.
The greedy will hoard worthless goods they have no right to own,
Until a day will dawn to earth’s quaking that no one can postpone.

The last days will be characterized by perilous times to come;
People and countries will turn against each with no place to run.
Imitations of Jesus Christ and the false prophets will be legion,
Terrible fiends will climb on the horizon and pervade the region,
With a focus on money and wealth as a sign of human prosperity,
Promising riches for the people to forego the need for austerity.
Fleece the sorry lambs as the wolves bare their teeth and growl;
Nocturnal beasts will cry for joy; the humans will be left to howl.

They will be destroyed of those who choose to destroy the earth,
They have developed life-long habits since the time of their birth,
Polluting the rivers and streams that flowed with pristine purity,
Corrupting the vast oceans of the earth that once held immunity.
Not even the majestic forests have escaped from sad destruction;
One by one, the stately trees cut down with rampant corruption.
Massive industries pollute the pure air with poisonous chemicals,
To alter this wave of destruction would take monumental miracles.

Then there are the signs resulting from a series of natural wonders;
Deep sea earthquakes and tsunamis strike our hearts with thunder.
Seasonal rains have changed their course causing drought and famine;
Images of starving children stir our emotions and thought to examine.
Monster hurricanes swirl overhead and cast ominous shadows below;
Torrential rains and fierce, howling winds lend their terror to bestow.
Snow at the two poles diminishing because of the lack of winter cold,
While avalanches level whole villages with an arrogance most bold.

In the end, the signs of the end times are harbingers of universal good;
The eternal mystery continues to disclose a secret as we know it should.
We are wise to remember that just as the day begins, so it must also end;
We are unwise if we live our lives with a misguided duty just to pretend.
Let us take umbrage with those who live today with no view to tomorrow;
Let us not forgive those who ravage earth as if it is theirs to take and furrow;
Let there be no doubt among us that the last day of earth will surely come;
All things will pass, the moment into eternity, the finite into an infinite sum.