There is this resolve -
This yielding to the inevitable.
The sound of the pale horses;
The Last Ride of Man.

There is this yielding to the
Sounds of death the toothbrush makes.
And I yield to it like butter on hot toast.
Why deny the inevitable?

Why pretend it isn’t going to happen?
Why deny death its duty?
And so the Chinese tiger is gone.
It said, “I too yield to the inevitable.”

And the old baker at Julia’s says,
“I will yield all of it for $2500 a month.”
Then the Green Guard came and
Put all the yielders into a spell.

“So what did you expect,” said the Yellow Gourd.
(How did a vegetable get into this poem?)
“We know that man is eventually going to
Disappear off the earth, just like the dinosaurs.

“Man will eventually yield the earth to
The creatures with tails.”
“The lizards?” I asked.
“The lizards and crocks and gators and...”

“But it’s rumored the dinosaurs will return.
Atlantis will rise from the sea.  
The mermaids will swim to shore and
Woolly rhinos will roam the ancient grasses.

“The owls will again tell their stories of
Night flights to distant planets.
Of seeing many UFOs come and go...
...And of Man’s incessant denial of their WARNINGS.

“Did you know that the seagulls will take over
the lotteries?  They’re the only ones who
Fully understand risk - being the brave ones
Who live on land, sea, and soil.”

“And out of spite the old growth forests
Won’t grow back for 10,000 years.  And the
Gorillas will stay in the mountains as
A sign of solidarity with them.

“They said they’ll wait ‘til all the purple moss
Grows back.  ‘Til the Chinese tigers and red-tailed
Antelope reappear, and the screeching condors, and
The Dodo bird and huge clouds of Passenger Pigeons.

“And they’ll move slowly into the empty villages
To celebrate the end of Man: the Ruiner.
And a great feast of thanks will be celebrated
For many years as the earth returns its glory.

“Demeter and Zeus and Zarathustra’s god will all
Be included as they rise from the ash heap.
Oh, and as you know it’s rumored that even
Jesus will be there to celebrate with them.

“The orchestra conductor on the moon will be
Asked to keep playing dirges for centuries.
As the creatures relearn how to sing and dance.
As the creatures on earth weep joyful tears.

- Mark Marchus 2007