Green becomes concrete
for wheels to glide over
quicker.
Inexorable as rainfall
landscape flies past,
transmutes into shopping malls,
office blocks and science parks.
Grey sky reflects in glass houses
and everyone is throwing stones.
Poem previously published in The Journal and originally posted on this blog in 2007. Still a sadly relevant poem.
The collage is made from 100% recycled magazines and is a detail from a flier, on the reverse of which there is a copy of the poem against the background of a photo of a city street.
I posted another poem from the past today on my Shapeshifting Green blog, you can read it here.
I posted another poem from the past today on my Shapeshifting Green blog, you can read it here.
Just reading about your trip to the Orkneys, like the bit about the beer.We has a holiday in North Uist and Skye last year, great wildlife and the Machair around Uist was spectacular.
ReplyDeleteCheers Mark
Thanks Mark - oh Orkney beer is great, especially the Red MacGregor and Dark Island. I love Skye too, never been to Uist though.
ReplyDeleteI like the last line. Everyone blames something.
ReplyDeleteSad isn't it, how cities destroy the natural beauty. How stark the reality of the last line in your wonderful poem Juliet.
ReplyDeleteCool collage, Crafty, and I like that you give the details of what you made it from. Your poem is really well done, and speaks of the regrettable building and destruction of nature/open space that is going on just about everywhere. And you're so right about "for wheels to glide over/ quicker." -- so much of modern life now is about faster, faster.
ReplyDelete:)
Brian - yes we all try to blame something else .
ReplyDeleteJanice - thanks, some cities do manage to preserve some natural beauty but yes cities in general are ugly compared to nature.
Clare - thanks, it does seem to be faster all the time doesn't it?
We're all living in glass houses and we're all throwing stones.
how sad, the 'progress' that destroys everything natural...
ReplyDeleteThis is very powerful, especially the stone-throwing end.
ReplyDeleteLove the collage and the recycling and the thoughts that went into it. Poems beautifull allthough I am more of a prose-person myself I can certainly appreciate the art of lyrics.
ReplyDeleteI like how you convey your message in both words and art
ReplyDeleteI think you've hit a homer (Americanism, sorry) with those last two lines. The collage is, as intended, a perfect match: the clear natural scene nearly overwhelmed by the cityscape.
ReplyDeleteThe effect of the picture is perfect.
ReplyDeletehello juliet!
ReplyDeletejust catching up to your blog. the collage is perfect for the poem. i love the line "and everyone is throwing stones" - so true.
Polona - I know will we ever find progress in harmony with nature?
ReplyDeleteJo, Lotus, My backyard, farfetched, jason, odessa - thanks.
Just lovely! I agree with every word you wrote. The collage is really nice, too.
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