today
as I got out of the car
i saw a black mask lying in the gutter
about to begin its journey to the stormwater drain
out to sea
and i thought
what kind of person
could do this
and then i thought of the 1.6 billion masks
polluting the ocean
and answered my own question
quite a lot
Christ of the Abyss
it's going to take
a lot of prayers
forgiveness
atonement
and miracles
to sort this mess out
The masks have added yet another layer to the tide of human pollution. I sometimes feel as though we deserve everything we get. But our children don't, so I carry on fighting!
ReplyDeleteAnd a lot of people picking up those masks and finding some safe way to dispose of them. Sigh. I am tired tonight. As tired as that old turtle trying to swim through the debris. Well done, Rall.
ReplyDeleteWe 're just a couple of tired old turtles Sherry :)
ReplyDeleteI believe the masks needed to exist. And I don't believe the masks are the problem. It's the people who wear the masks and choose to discard them that way that are problematic. How did we become so careless? And it's not for lack of garbage-bins. We are just so damn lazy.
ReplyDeleteTo borrow your words:
"it's going to take
a lot of prayers
forgiveness
atonement
and miracles
to sort this mess out" -- yes, this people problem is a serious concern. All those things that end in our oceans are people problems.
Thanks for writing this fantastic poem. It made me think. Deep.
Oh I love this poem! From the particular to the general in a few well chosen lines.
ReplyDeleteI see discarded masks al over my small bit of countryside. Sigh.
Interestingly I don't see that many masks lying around here in the city. But people discard all kinds of things--cigarette butts are a particular peeve of mine. So much thoughtlessness. Our oceans are full of our thoughtlessness. (K)
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. The masks and the hundred thousands of little papers wrapping each vaccine shot. We need to stand in and/or near the abyss and invoke Christ by our actions.
ReplyDelete