29th May 2022
Glorious morning,
For a world pomegranated with wrongs.
Superficially beautiful, as we head for the beach;
But beside this lane,
Wrecked hedges which recently homed so many birds –
While overworking is robbing all those tractor-trenched fields
Of their natural richness.
Road-greedy traffic passes, arrogantly impatient:
Fuelwaste bloatations of steel, glass, plastic, filthing rubber.
Just one sail using such a fair breeze!
Most movement is long-waked and petrol-thirsty:
Fishermen impatient to toss into the sea
Yet more toxic rope and net
Which they will nonchalantly lose,
For that’s their God-given way.
Above, transAtlantic jets
Vomit chalky oil fumes by the ton.
Every journey, of course, absolutely necessary:
Some folk must acquire a Californian tan,
Travel four thousand miles to meet some unknown man.
Yes – how beautiful this morning, our decaying planet appears:
Blue sky, turquoise sea, suncrinkle shallows.
True, I have come to this shore by polluting car;
But at least I will bag and take home a shoulder’s worth of
Polypropylene, polythene, PET, polystyrene, polyurethane, nylon –
Whatever the ignorant have jettisoned…
Who will never change their ways because,
For many,
Their freedom to despoil is sacrosanct
As the right to bear child-slaughtering arms.
© Christopher Jessop 2022
