Urban Blight

The railroad tracks pass close to streets
Where residents reside
And from the train, I gazed at views
The windows did provide.

Suburban homes soon segued
Into urban tracks of land
Where population density
Has gained the upper hand.

For every city tree we passed
Had slews of plastic bags
Embedded in its branches
Like a motley mass of flags.

Such a sad display of ugliness,
This scourge of city blight
Really opened up my eyes to
This environmental plight.

I’d gladly pay the nickel tax
To staunch the bag use flow,
But what I wonder is why people
Let the darn things go.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2017

Poem

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O'Leary Avatar
March 26, 2017 at 2:15 PM
ExcellentOO! We have so many problems, self-inflicted to be sure... Maybe one day we will learn... Good poem!!! Terry
Dietrich Avatar
March 22, 2017 at 6:20 PM
Yes, humans are so ridiculous how they let things go like this. I think this is very descriptive of urban blight. WELL DONE
Marcum Wong Avatar
March 20, 2017 at 7:00 AM
It is often that people don't value what they don't have to pay for as Jean said. How sad. Our kids here in Hawaii have days that they go out and clean up the highways. I think it is great to instill an appreciation in children for keeping things tidy. When they grow up they don't litter. A sage poem with wonderful rhyme Ilene. 7 ; )
Murray Avatar
March 19, 2017 at 5:37 PM
We have had to pay for plastic bags for years and I see England has followed suit. It's when they don't pay they discard.
Allison Avatar
March 18, 2017 at 5:39 PM
Powerfully penned Ilene:-) Litter really is a blight on the streets but here we also have terrible issues with rubbish coming in from the sea... as for plastic bags in trees the 'latest' thing seems to be to put ones with doggy poop on tree branches - ugh its so vile:-( hugs Jan xx
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