|
Under-Funded
by Leslie Ann Eisenberg
Petals are poisoned
by relentless drops
of silver mercury
orange disks of powdery pollen
burn away
before they can drink one beam
of daylight
Brown, downy ducklings
swallow sewage
Ancient redwoods drink acid rain
Catfish have lip cancer
While, over the hill,
behind barbed wire,
countless, shining
aluminum birds are poised
to drop
phallic eggs
on yet another
uncorrupted land
11/08/2003 Posted on 11/14/2003
Copyright © 2025 Leslie Ann Eisenberg
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Max Bouillet on 11/14/03 at 11:59 PM Environmental and powerful verse that says what needs to be said --even though it is rarely listened to. Great read --especially liked the aluminium bird imagery. Thanks for sharing. |
| Posted by Kara Hayostek on 11/15/03 at 05:57 PM This is another great poem, I especially liked the last stanza...the aluminim birds and phallic eggs. Since phallic shapes are symbols of fertility its interesting that you used them here to describe the nukes that would destroy the land. |
| Posted by Don Coffman on 11/18/03 at 04:02 AM Very fascinating and effective imagery, a ponderous way of looking at issues of environment and conflict. |
| Posted by Nadia Gilbert Kent on 11/19/03 at 10:16 PM In a totally sick way, that was nice. I enjoyed it. |
| Posted by Ulyss Rubey on 11/21/03 at 11:05 PM Brown downy ducklings swallow sewage?
You have just contaminated my mind with another phrase I can never forget. And what could be worse for a catfish than lip cancer? Loved it. |
|
