Black Smoke
Pestering funnel of delinquency,
hovering in the stratosphere for all to see,
from where we lit the lake of fuel on fire.
Spewing and billowing off to the northwest,
forecasting trouble in the lands of Syria.
The smoke ejaculated from young ignorant men,
as smoldering residue of our fiery juvenile thoughts.
Able to affect the future of thousands,
this stretch of black death zoomed out,
becomes lost in the sea of environmental plunder.
This one insensate action of inconsequential marines,
never to be heard, questioned or used
as evidence to suggest causality for the current cancer menace,
not even to be remembered by those that were there.
The black cloud that we laughed at without any fear.
Pure ignorance yet with access to knowledge,
for which we had done no work to deserve it.
The black cloud had more remorse than us
as it twisted and churned against the stalwart air,
forced eventually to dissipate
realizing it was not welcome there.
(2013)
