Plastic

i once had a girl who was
kind 
never mean
treated me so sweetly
best I ‘de ever seen
we skipped and jumped 
and sang with joy
shared ideas 
and played with toys
everything was hunkey dorey
till one day I told my story
of how I stored my life in bins
with bags and receptacles
that were not made 
of tin
nor paper
wood or cloth
or even silken spin
no all of it was perfect plastic
wraps containers and all sorts of things
I figured “what the hell” 
it doesn’t mean anything
if everyone’s doing it
why should I care
I mean we’re all gonna go
so why would I dare
to think a few bags would create
any scare?
oh but my sweetheart 
said we had choice
she said it with wisdom
I heard it in her voice
but I was half-witted 
and said it was fate
so why should I change
why should I wait 
for the checkout lady 
to fetch old brown bags
like just one person would matter
what a gag
until the islands 
of Food City bags
finally reached my front door
and my sweet girl
couldn’t get in anymore
oh I sat on my couch
wrapped in sad cellophane
realizing how plastic had brought me this pain
but now it’s too late
I cried out in great shame
I could have turned green
and changed this planet’s game
my sweetheart was right
things would have changed
if I simply gave up plastic
oh if I could do it over again…

Originally published in "Dance of Divine Lovers"
Poems of Sacred Sensuality   © 2014  Joseph A Adler

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