The Garbage Monologues
The treachery of
excess trash
sends man seeking dumpsters
at midnight
surreptitiously searching out fields
to camouflage the sin of
tossed green garbage bags
under cover of night.
The ordinary man
strains tired muscles
tearing boxes into acceptable sheets
corrugated cardboard
neatly tied with string.
The ordinary man,
worn down by evil smells
that lurk inside dark bins
resorts to freezing
table scraps,
foods of dubious origin
long past their best before dates,
and unsuccessful fridge experiments.
He sorts plastics based on
symbols printed on the
side of tubs and jugs,
crushes metal cans.
He hoards glass jars and bottles for
stacking in blue bins on
garbage day.
At the end of the day, the ordinary man
remains perplexed by
the need for green tags on
garbage bags and
categories of trash
unknown in grandpa’s day.
He whispers prayers
to the patron saint of trashmen
asking "Please let nothing remain
when the trash trucks have passed."

Carol A Stephen
February 27, 2007