A Conversation with Industrialization

Kayla-Jane Barrie

Can we
rebuild
humanity?
Cycles of recession
fueled by gluttony
curated minds
lovely little squares
fill the cavities. 
The weary crave
recreation, imagination
if I download this
I’ll improve my mentality
I can be more.
Can we rebuild
humanity?
With threads of fabric
our bodies sewn
to the terrain
by the desire
to accelerate
sell the solution
barricade us from reality
they will make millions.
distracted
artificial bliss
digital expressions
consumed by global atrocities
depleted, abstracted
by competition. 
Can we rebuild humanity,
if we look up? 

The Science

This piece is inspired by industrial symbiosis, which allows "sharing of resources, contributing to the increase of sustainability with environmental, economic and social benefits." However, industrialisation and urbanisation have led to increased carbon dioxide emissions (Dong et al., 2019, Liu and Bae, 2018), which are largely responsible for greenhouse gases, thus global warming, with adverse consequences for the environment and human health (IPCC, 2014). Can humans truly ever find harmony with the earth in this accelerated growth and desire to always need something to fill the void? What if we let ourselves find our way back to our roots, and look up? 

The Poet

Kayla-Jane (she/her) is a Canadian poet who lives in rural Ontario. She writes about the human experience through an abstract lens. She hosts online and in-person writing workshops that support others in finding their creative voice while looking at social systems, philosophy, and art. You can find her work in The Quarantine Review and JAKE.

Next poem: A Tribute to Fractals by Leslie Thomas