Thursday, October 20, 2011

Away

Away

Throw it away,
we say, but where
does this directive
lead. Where is
away. We know it
suggests distance
and removal, that
the thrown thing
is no longer visible
or retrievable.
In theory, it is gone
for good, forever
or for a very long
time. We trust
it will biodegrade
into nothing, into
matter smashed up
microscopically
or reabsorbed into
the air or dirt.
We believe in
the dumpster.
We assume it takes
our trash from us
and does away
with it, undoes
what we don’t
have room for in
our homes, what
we refuse to
claim or tend.

8 comments

  1. I love this - the form. The use of words like believe and trust.

    The illusion of away.

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  2. Great subject for your poem, a stimulant for long conversations about consumption, what we deem to be trash, and throw-away culture, especially when we consider stuff like nuclear waste.

    You're always thought-provoking.

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  3. Having taken several trips to our local landfill, I no longer believe and trust that it's done away with. It just sits there, seagulls circling.

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  4. All day I will be thinking about the meanings of "away"! (Loved the book art!)

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  5. Funny you should write a poem about this...every day as I reach to throw something into the trash I cringe thinking how long will it be before it is really away into atomic form...I cringe knowing that it will be a long time...sometimes I want to take it back and then I throw it away again...aahh so painful!
    I hope you are having a lovely day!

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  6. We believe in
    the dumpster.

    Trash is a hard thing to reconcile, all the more in our consumerist American culture.

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  7. An excellent angle from which to approach an almost intractable problem. The format and use of words are convincing.

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