The Albany Poetry Workshop
Forum I: Poem for the End of the Century
Sheila Ferguson
Millennium
The new millennium awaits
around the corner,
just beyond the cornerstone
of all I believe in.
It approaches too fast,
I am not ready for it to arrive.
I hear its footsteps falling...
Growing up in a small town,
I am accustomed to knowing-
the names of my neighbors,
and all of their children.
Friends and families,
carried more importance;
could be counted on.
As we grow more civilized,
modern cities replace smaller towns,
erasing the person.
Families shredded,
torn apart by divorce
or miles.
I fear tomorrow we may forget
the human bonds
we all need to survive.
I fear the continual
diminishing of people
connecting to people.
I hear the future calling-
It roars out my name,
I answer...
hoping my fears are unfounded.
January, 1998
Sheila Ferguson's questions:
Do the last few lines get rid of most of the negative comments?
Or is it still too negative, even with them?