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Shoelaces and Change of Climate

I first noticed a change in Climate, When my shoes started to outlast their laces, Which I thought unusual at the time, As I had come to think of it as an unwritten law, Probably one of Murphy's, That shoelaces were never meant to outlast a pair of shoes, And shoes were built with the shoeshine boy and the shoe mender in mind. About the time I realized that those rules no longer applied, I felt the chill in the air, As a new broom and a new wind were swooping down on us. But just in case there is time for the change of climate to be reversed, I take the laces that are now still as good as new, Out of the shoes, before I consign them to another growing mountain, That no one is prepared to climb, And save them in case I come across a pair of shoes, That will outlast their laces, And possibly become a link in the chain, That we can use to pull the world and its climate, Back on an even keel, Especially if someone who appreciates shoes that last, Sees merit in encouraging a mountain of near new laces, By making deals with charities to create the mountain, Instead of bringing more new ones onto the market, And helping speed up a change in climate. Or alternatively if that does not come about, My saved shoelaces will make handy ties for the bags of shoes, I will need to dispose of that are beyond repair. Either way, I feel better for having pointed out, That if we make enough small $1 savings to the good, We could give the world it's badly needed, Trillion-dollar makeover, So we can all make do with smaller waste bins.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2023




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Date: 3/21/2023 1:19:00 AM
I love this, David. What a unique way to deliver the environment message! Everybody's singing "LA-La-La!" So scary! Elizabeth
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David Smith
Date: 3/21/2023 2:05:00 AM
And crazy too. I instigated a meal recycling scheme for our local church. Made a few thousand and saved a few ton of metal from tip. Could I get last two Mayors to come down and look at what we were doing. No way. I did can recycling when I lions and and got the group to recycle spent puffer aluminum containers. I co-authored a paper on waste management in seventies for a political party. It got shelved. Recycling at source is answer. Economies would boom if businesses could get uncontaminated items. Everyone can do more like toilet training their children so less nappies needed or feeding their pets more scraps instead of store bought stuff. My parents and their parents reused /repurposed. to mostly good effect. We just have to try new ways to convince. Poetry is one. Thanks again for reading. David in NZ
Date: 3/18/2023 12:29:00 PM
wow! this is wonderful, david! i like your ideas and the way you've expressed them in this poem. i also remove my shoelaces before discarding old sneakers, but they just lie around in a drawer and rarely get reused, though i suppose they could be...
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David Smith
Date: 3/18/2023 7:10:00 PM
Thank you Ilene for taking to read and comment. I am a great believer in sorting at source and I am on a roll with my poetry at moment. A word or a phrase appears out of nowhere and the rest follows with few if any alterations or rewrites. I wonder if I don't have a ghost writer to help. No doubt all the wonderful poems and poets on the soup are an influence too. Best regards David in NZ
Date: 3/18/2023 2:45:00 AM
Quite a poem which I loved.
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David Smith
Date: 3/18/2023 3:35:00 AM
Thanks. Time will tell whether I am just whistling in the dark, but poetry is the one medium that lets me at least whistle where other mediums are not as user friendly tome at least. And I enjoy the challenge in the writing with Hope and Love while still showing passion and encouraging others to look at life in a different way. ps I really do remove the shoelaces and see big gains from small initiatives. Hope you will be around in the soup for a while yet. David in NZ

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