I often wonder what life will be like a century from now
will we all travel in driverless flying cars
future medicine will perhaps eradicate all disease
technology will advance so much that we will hardly have to work at all
a century ago people tried to predict our lives today
we were supposed to be driving flying cars by now
firefighters were predicted to extinguish all fires from the air
entire cities should by now be covered by massive roofs
many saw the automation that we actually have today
although not exactly in the way it has developed
they predicted home automation to eliminate housemaids
robot cleaners being controlled by levers, pulleys and wires
farming automation was predicted to replace tractors
the farmer should be sitting on his front porch today
pulling levers that move wires and pulleys
controlling mechanical devices that plant and harvest in his fields
technology was expected to make our lives easier
not only by automating many manual processes
it was to liberate us from working long hours
giving us all much more time for extended leisure activities
technology has indeed made us much more productive
we can access information and process data so much faster today
but businesses demand profits and low costs
the dream of reduced working hours has never materialized
as the population of the planet increases
we create more pollution and environmental damage
plastic waste fills our oceans and sea levels are rising
while politicians dismiss this as fake news
our minds should not be focussed on having more time off for play
lets stop dreaming about owning personal flying machines
our energies and creativity should be directed to sustaining our planet for future generations
a century from now people will probably look back at us with disbelief
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 