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The audit

The audit

Above the earth, a fleet of silver cylinders silently hangs,

And from their impenetrable metal skins

descend a horde of slimy green-skinned things.

“Bring forth your leaders” is their imperious demand

“For all on earth must answer to our universal commands”.


“We are the InterStellar Standards Organisation

We come to review your planetary quality policy

There are grave concerns in Alpha Centauri

About the constant wars between your nations

Now please, describe your mitigation plan of action”.


Across the world, there was widespread consternation

As no-one had ever thought to plan ahead

and consider what would happen after they were dead.

No government ever planned beyond the next election

nor strived to give the living planet any compassionate consideration.


And while the nation’s leaders hid behind their usual spineless evasions

and went on TV to mouth their platitudes and prevarications

The leopard and the lion, the koala and kangaroo,

the red-faced ant and tortoiseshell blue,

and all the others, to numerous to name

they all knew exactly what to do.

And no humans survived the global extermination.


The green skinned things just stood aside

For their prime directive was ’We may not interfere’

They made a note to return in say one thousand years,

and recorded in their interim ISO quality report -

that certification was once again denied.

 

 

Notes:

OUP Zoom Oct 2024

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