Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Pangea - The Protocontinent

Pangea - The Protocontinent
Genesis: In the beginning there was only one land mass.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Pangea, relief painting (23" x 24") by A V Rotor 2021'
On display at the author's residence, Living with Nature Center
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Wonder what Pangea looks like in the Book of Genesis,
      view from spaceship, images of satellite,
from facts and theories, turning back the hands of time,
      breaking up beliefs, old dogmas into new light.

Wonder where and how the protocontinent originated,
      from magma rising to the mantle of the earth,
fiery beginning of our planet through millions of years,
      until respite followed such tumultuous birth.

Wonder if life rose from Pangea, and what could it be?
      bed of evolution, seat of biodiversity
Whereupon Oparin and Darwin conceived their theories;
      but - had Pangea failed to break out its unity.

Wonder if the phylogeny of living things the same as today's
      five sub-kingdoms, seen and unseen;
monerans protists, mycophytes, plants and animals,
      too large, too diverse even on a huge screen.

Wonder what directed Pangea's breakup into continents -
      geologic, meteoric, by an unseen Hand,
north having much more share than the south hemisphere,
      tilting the globe some degrees on its band.

Wonder if Pangea slowly lost its hold to continental drift,
      plates moving apart, plates colliding,
sinking and rising, restless, breathing through volcanoes,
      creating landscapes, weird and soothing.

Wonder if Pangea's memory, its episodes, forever gone,
      save some shaking of the ground, tides rising,
silent, obedient to Nature's call, and man at the helm,
      feebly aware of its remains still moving. ~


Breakup of Pangea into seven continents
(Acknowledgement: Internet images)

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