I walked down by the river and I wandered off the path
and I took my empty Coke can and I tossed it in the grass
Yeah, I know I shouldn’t do that ‘cause littering’s a sin
but I only do that sort of thing just every now and then.
It’s really not so bad to only do it now and then.
I dumped my oil in the driveway, washed it down the drain
the sewer flooded like it does when we get heavy rain
and now there’s robins dying with their feathers wet and bent
but I only do that sort of thing just every now and then,
how bad could it be when it’s only now and then?
Well, I was driving and I threw away a cigarette—
and three smokejumpers died in the forest fire I set,
but that’s just ‘cause we had no rain all summer here again.
Geez, I only do that sort of thing just every now and then
now could it really be that bad to do it now and then?
I messed around and fussed around, very next thing I knew
the planet wasn’t livable for either me or you
because of something I did? Can’t believe how fast it went
‘cause I only did that sort of thing just every now and then.
It wasn’t really my fault, I just did it now and then.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Every Now and Then
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11 comments:
Yeah that's the problem isn't it? Everyone thinks that their little destructions don't hurt. Then of course there's so much beauty out there still (which there is, there is) that people think well won't matter if this particular lake dies, there are so many more out there. Will we see sense in time? Sorry i go on....
I like this piece it triggers guilt feelings, everybody are guilty for the "now and then" excuses. Small things combined could indeed be harmful. And yeas we have in our little power combined, too, to make the changes we want to make the difference. I hope not only "now and then."
Great poem. And oh, did I mention I really love listening to the cadence of this poem while reading it.
Please click link below for my take on the prompt: "Earth"
http://jeques.wordpress.com/2007/12/23/pulsating-transient-inhabitant-for-writers-island/
I wish you well.
~ Jeques
This is so true and, unfortunatly, the way many people think.
This poem is like a song with that repeated refrain.
Very good!
this was very real and very well done.. i believe if there was a campaigns that embraced being ecologically sound from this angle,, instead of shoving political correctness and carbon foot prints and a fat yuppy al gore down our throats,, people might actually look at the way they live because it is the right thing to do,, and very basically,, people do want to do the next right ting....
We are all guilty of doing things we should not. And putting these things in a poem hammers them home with great effect. Great post.
The poem is well thought out and flows nicely and is true that we are all guilty of such offenses, except for the cigarette..., I never smoked.
I'm reminded of my Daddy telling me to pour used motor oil on a dog to cure it of the mange and how mad Daddy got when I refused saying it was unsafe. Daddy was old, he learned such things from old men who didn't know any better but we had that fight 30 years ago and to this day people still think used motor oil will cure a dog of mange.
Or perhaps they just don't care enough to learn the truth?
Nicely done!
Nicely done - message rings true and clear!
How true - so often we think our occasional lapses of good conscience don't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Very clever take on this prompt :)
what a great post...we humans are throwaway consumers...i like the way you gently brought us in and then hooked us...
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