Friday, August 20, 2010

Litter: being an occasional poem

One quarter of the litter you see on streets is cigarette butts.

One third is mosquito & horse fly carcasses, which rustle & snap when stepped on. City workers build buzzing pyres every few weeks. We disperse after they're lit, satisfied.

One eighth is Jets jerseys, arms flung wide.

One quarter is pigeon & pigeon parts, inclusive of the beer glass & grit in their crops but not the sharp raptors overhead.

Four-and-a-half per cent is grubby dandelion bouquets, seeping milk.

* * *

This one had its genesis in this item from my newsfeed on Facebook:

"Tired of seeing cigarette butts? Over one quarter of the litter you see on streets comes from cigarettes. See the plan to clean up our city. Watch CBC News Winnipeg starting at 5 p.m."

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