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| International recycling symbol |
She’s not wearing her work gloves again, but
she’s picking up the litter from her lawn,
her daily task as steward of the corner.
Black plastic sandwich-shop bags are empty,
but not pizza boxes or water ice cups
gooey with sugar, crawling with ants.
Soda cans, beer bottles and bottle caps
recycle, papers and flyers do too
un-crunched, smoothed, read and piled.
She chatters back at the squirrels from under
her yellow baseball cap, from under her hunched back,
from over her unsteady hip-stiffened walk.
She coaxes the robins to hop closer,
calls them her herd, her grazing goats and asks
them with a chuckle Why
not mow the lawn?
While yer at it, why
not trim the edges?
These drivers, cleaning
their cars on my lawn!
It’s not the school
kids, I like the school kids.
But they laugh at her, these stylish children,
who discard whatevers with abandon
as they stroll past without pausing their pace.
She’s moving slower today, probably
pleased to salvage and recycle, to walk
each next day on her little piece of earth.
For my prompt
Poets United Midweek Motif ~Earth Day or Earthiness
For #21 April poem ~ I'm a day behind.
Copyright © 2015 S.L.Chast
It is not hard to do things right but we have great skill in doing things wrong because we can't see the future as we live so much in the present and just don't care. We are setting fire to our lifeboat just to keep warm. Just wish more of us were like your lady on the lawn.
ReplyDeleteThis poem touched my heart..! It proves that not everyone appreciates what people do for our beloved Earth.
ReplyDeleteBut they laugh at her, these stylish children,
who discard whatevers with abandon
as they stroll past without pausing their pace.
As citizens its our job to keep our world clean.. and urge others to do the same!
Love,
Sanaa
... and she's doing it for them
ReplyDeleteWonderful...now if all will see the need.
ReplyDeleteand we are leaving our earth to unappreciative (over) consumers.
ReplyDeleteSuch a wise old bird :)
Oh how I love her, careful steward of the corner, friend of birds. One day, I hope those children will look back and remember her, maybe as they are bending to pick litter off their own yards.
ReplyDeleteI have been to my ancestral village and have do ne all the chores too and it feels so connected t nature and earth!
ReplyDeleteI have been to my ancestral village and have do ne all the chores too and it feels so connected t nature and earth!
ReplyDeleteThe education starts at home, in the family, where the respect are cultivated to earth and people who live there.... ~ heroic character in some way.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that she is still not without humor..taking small steps towards a cleaner home so that we learn someday to take the giant leap of rejuvenating our earth...
ReplyDeleteA good reminder that anyone can do their part in their own little corner of earth to make a difference!!
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDelete'Every little bit helps.' Making a difference to our own locality, may incline someone else to try. Education seems to require this common sense, to be transferred on to new generations. That is surprising; you would think that with more information and awareness, that people would think, before they just drop litter etc..
Eileen
This made me so sad.
ReplyDeleteShe has a kind heart and I hope someday the children will understand her ways.
ReplyDelete"her little piece of earth" - how sad this truth is.
ReplyDeleteI read this and thought 'so this is what happened to Snow White!' An evocative story with an important truth at its centre.
ReplyDeleteI think she has the right idea - we must care for our little piece of earth.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I read your comment on my blog. Of course you can share my poem. It's my honor. Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteWith very little effort and cooperation a huge difference could be made for the betterment of the environment.
ReplyDeleteOh the example of cleaning. Hoping it takes hold in the younger children.
ReplyDeleteHey Susan--I think the young have such an exaggerated yuck factor, and it is wonderful that an older person do this(and believable and real and really well-described.) Thank you. K.
ReplyDeleteWe have a movement that's going strong in our neighbourhood, called "Think global, Act local". If each one of us acts int he way your poem describes, Susan, the whole world would be all the better for it. Unfortunately, this behaviour often is seen in the old and wise; we need to educate and nurture the young as early as possible so we can hand over the stewardship to them...
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the welcome to Poets United and your kind comment about my poem.