11 December 2013

The Catastrophe of Feathers


The catastrophe of feathers
is their vulnerability to oil.
That and the vulgarity of madmen's
irrational willingness to spill it.
Holy crow, it's lunacy! They're devilish,
absolutely lavish in their lunacy,
set it as a credential to devise
an entire system of lunacy,
then call it business in their gibbering
gossip over glasses of whiskey.
The degree to which they upend
natural order known only to
the frenzied, cadaverous birds.

Shay, aka Fireblossom, over at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads, provided us a word list for a poem and then wrote a fantabulous poem using all 23 of the words. She's like that. I only used 19 but liked the process. It always feels as if the words themselves write the poem. How could I read such a word list and not shout about this catastrophe?

15 comments:

  1. Ohhh, right on, sister. Whenever there is one of those spills, I can't even bear to watch the misery of the birds and creatures. I always wonder what goes on in the minds and hearts of the men (and it is mostly men) who set this stuff in motion. I think that many of the same qualities that lend themselves to success in business also lend themselves to short-sighted disregard for the damage done, or the risk.

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    1. As if we can destroy the environment without destroying ourselves- lunacy!

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  2. You've combined these words for a very full picture of lunacy, Mary. It's one I also despise...our contempt for the world that sustains us and our greed for what never can be anything but transitory can only be described as the gibbering of madmen.

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    1. Earth is truly called our mother and we are all one.

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  3. ugh...amazing how quickly we forget the devastation...and go right back to drinking the BP oil in our cars...after we have forgotten....

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    1. I'm actively looking for a place to live within walking distance to the services we need and want in order to cut way back on driving and to make life easier as I age.

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  4. I wish there were some way I could stop using my car and filling it with gas. One day, Mary, one day... this is a great poem, BTW. :-)

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    1. There are growing numbers of communities that make walking and public transportation easier. I'm going for that.

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  5. "business"… it is chilling how heartless that word is (has become) always has been… I remember those images of the birds covered in oil - the turtles… ugh.

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    1. Heartbreaking images and needless destruction born of greed.

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  6. It really is a shame we're such destructive creatures.

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    1. We're also creative and caring so let's make different decisions and bring our capacities to the sweet face of Mother Earth.

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  7. the catastrophe of feathers...so heart wrenching...

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  8. I love this ............ and enjoy your precious grandchildren!!

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