Poetry Break

Every now and then we need to take a break from reading the reports and the news and the regulations and opposing views... so here's a poetic break by ... Dr. Frackenseuss.

You couldn’t have known or you wouldn’t have leased.

The rights to your land have effectively ceased.

As well as your rights to clean water and air.

And also your neighbor’s. 

I’m sure you must care

That because of your signature, there will now be

Thousands of truckloads of toxic debris,

Right past your neighbor who lent you his plow.

What can you possibly say to him now

That his health is at risk because you chose to sign? Air doesn’t stop at your property line!

And his deeded land value has greatly decreased.

You couldn’t have known or you wouldn’t have leased.

Is this what you pictured? An eight acre zone

With tankers of water and sand and crushed stone

And pipelines and access roads, chemicals stored?

Radioactive waste products ignored?

Is this what the ads meant by “Clean Natural Gas”?

Those promises made with such charm and such class,

Pretending that high volume drilling’s the same

Drilling we’ve done -- with a different name!

Lying that this will make our country free

From depending on those with whom we don’t agree.

With the lure of big money, you bought Corporate Rule.

You said, “Bring on a future of more fossil fuel!”

With your formal consent, our democracy ceased.

You couldn’t have known or you wouldn’t have leased.