Sunday, June 15, 2014

716 : The Absolute Pits

Sunday Whirl (Wordle #165) presents a list of words
that we must incorporate in a writing piece.  

The words this week are:

wish, porcelain, split, cliff, whistle, rip, chimney,
habits, drilled, six, fortunes, drink, pit


The Absolute Pits

Where have we come,
Where chimneys are viewed
As prettier than windmills?

Where we rip coal from
The bowels of the earth
To burn, to pollute
To increase the fortunes 
Of an arrogant few.

Where the ground is drilled,
The rock is split
To release gas to burn
But to make the water
Unfit to drink.

Where we think 
We can pollute 
With impunity
And just wish away
The consequences?

Where dog-whistle politics
Drives us relentlessly
Towards the edge of the cliff
Of survival.
Where we are encouraged 
To gaze at the horizon
And ignore the precipice
Before us.

Crystal decanters, 
Fine linen cloths,
And porcelain tea services,
Mean little
If you cannot 
Breathe the air
Or drink the water.

Of the seven deadly sins,
Six are nasty enough, 
Bad habits for the owner,
But greed, 
Greed has a wider impact—
Greed hurts everyone.
.
---
© J Cosmo Newbery 2014
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21 comments:

  1. Once, to last a lifetime, seemed a long time but with our attitude on the expendability of everything we do not seem to leaving our children much to look forward to. But so few seem to care while we cry in the wilderness.

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  2. Yes indeed..made me think of the Titanic going down..not even a first class ticket and a place at the captain's table could save you..the pits indeed - although Maggie closed up most of our literal ones..we're doing pretty good at plunging metaphorical ones

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  3. Bravo - I agree with you absolutely. Our spendthrift generation has truly messed up the planet.

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  4. AnonymousJune 15, 2014

    It's true that greed hurts everyone.

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  5. AnonymousJune 16, 2014

    Love this, totally!

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  6. Sadly, but the pleasure has other side too...your opening stanza says it!

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  7. AnonymousJune 16, 2014

    I whole heartedly agree with you on this one. What a hell we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. Love that last line, but was also nodding my head throughout this reading. Bravo!

    Elizabeth

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  8. Well done, J Cosmo! Thank you for casting light where it desperately needs to shine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Brenda, the set of words had me stumped for a while this week.

      Delete
  9. Immediate greed, and permanent effects. Thanks Cosmo. I wish it was fiction you have written. How I wish it was fiction.

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  10. What's wrong with a bit of smoke?

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    Replies
    1. Depends whether you're inhaling or exhaling.

      Delete
    2. Ha!
      counts for cigarets too.

      Delete
  11. I rather despise dog-whistle politicians. I do, however, very much like the direction your poem takes, even though the world (at least the political world) hasn't caught on yet that greed really does hurt everyone.

    Quirky Quartet

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  12. Indeed.. Greed has nothing with growth or progress.. A little bit of care is all it takes.

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  13. Greed is the worst of the deadly sins, the others simply fall into place after.

    Pamela

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  14. Hiding In The Shed...B00!June 17, 2014

    Obesity is the western illness of great concern while 900 million of the world's population starve.
    Greed is the greatest sin. All we can do is keep shouting about it and be 'givers'. Very few people give of themselves or anything else
    Also avoid tattooed dragons who liked to be spanked...they contribute to the pollution of the mind!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eeek! A shed pixie! Yes, yes and yes.

      Delete
    2. Hey! I represent that remark!

      Delete
  15. Brad Pitt is the absolute Pitt!

    ReplyDelete

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