Imagining Oklahoma (May 2015)
Imagining Oklahoma (May 2015)
I write of swimming Tulsa’s parks–
it’s rained so much that some have Arks
(Snitched, I think, from church displays–
plastic giraffes in porthole bays.)
But I’ve no boat, nor yet canoe–
the crawl (Australian) best I can do.
Stroking, I ponder the pour of rain–
here in the land of Dust Bowl fame,
where folks went west-er for water, honey
(milk too and, they hoped, some money==)
Or, so it once seemed in older times
a warning time we’d mucked with climes–
that word’s poetic for another, close,
and please excuse my lines verbose–
but State Reg. Nine-Ten-Eye-Eye-Eye-Eight
prohibits that I articulate
that “climb”-start word that rhymes with “pate”
and has naught, says the State, to do with our fate–
Don’t you dare (they tell me) blame fossil fuels
for converting us all to corporate tools–
or else the drillers will pull their rigs
and we’ll have to devise some other gigs
(which would be especially mis-er-a-ble
for those on oil’s-lush payroll–)
So, I guess I’ll just crawl silently
right next to this poor drowning bee–
By the way–you have a Nicorette?
it’s like cold turkey in this wet–
or so he buzzes, busily tells–
somehow addicted to what kills–
********************************
Here’s a poem of sorts for Marian’s prompt on With Real Toads relating to Dr. Seuss and Taj Mahal. I love Taj, but I stuck mainly with Seuss, except I suppose one could also think of Taj’s song Queen Bee–
Process notes–it is my understanding there are intense downpours right now in Oklahoma, while California, even the parts not traditionally dry, are in terrible drought. The nicorette reference is to the nicotinamides in pesticides which many think are causing the decimation of bees.
Final process note–I am in New York City right now–so apologies for my ignorance of Oklahoma–California too– though I took out that stanza! Also I am without either pencil, eraser or drawing pad– I really am not used to drawing without an eraser! Agh!
PS– I fear that fracking and earth quakes may be an even bigger problem in Oklahoma right now, but decided to keep this poem relatively simple.
PPS – I am informed, upon posting, that this is my 2000th post on this blog. Ha! Thanks to you all for the encouragement.
Explore posts in the same categories: elephants, poetry, Uncategorized
Tags: Dr. Seuss believes in Climate Change poem, manicddaily, nicorette is not the answer poem, Raining Hard in Oklahoma, Swimming in the park with bee, Up the flood with no canoe poem
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ManicDDaily 
May 15, 2015 at 10:41 am
Congrats on the 2000th post.. I’m still behind you there.. I think this is great.. actually this is the type of verse that are regularly published in Swedish Newspapers.. so why not write in Seussian style of our concerns? I like it .
May 15, 2015 at 11:04 am
2000 posts – an accomplishment. Yay! And we all get to benefit. I enjoyed your poem, which presents alarming facts in a way that still amuses. Loved it.
May 15, 2015 at 11:10 am
Oh my lord is this really the 2000th post? This is excellent 😀
Loved the poem 😀 Lots of love
xoxo
May 15, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Love this. It speaks to many important issues. I’ve been to OK frequently over the past few years and the everyday folks are concerned about the effects of fracking. Now it’s taking place here in PA.
May 15, 2015 at 12:15 pm
I love that last stanza, especially!
Congrats on 2000th post!
May 15, 2015 at 12:48 pm
One of the main problems in areas of drought is that the ground becomes so hard that when they do get rain it washes right along causing flooding which can be devastating. Thanks for the note on the Nicorette as I would have missed that one.
May 15, 2015 at 2:40 pm
I am laughing at the arks–it has rained so much here in some places that people’s concrete swimming pools and storm shelters have floated up out of the ground–and more rain last night. But it has lifted our four-year extreme drought, so I am not complaining(also, I don’t have a floating swimming pool. ;_) ) Lots of cool rhymes in this, and a sting at the end for our poor bees. Loved it, k.
May 15, 2015 at 2:44 pm
Thanks– yes I sense Oklahoma is thankful for the rain where not drowning. I had stanza re California but just felt too long. Poor bees. K.
May 15, 2015 at 8:16 pm
A fun poem, K. Fun to read, brings on thoughts for me.
I generally get told by Son # 2 (second kid, second twin born), “Dad, did you forget that two of us kids and three grandkids are oil people?” He is right, and they are the ones doing the best (if they can keep their jobs during this oil price slump).
..
May 15, 2015 at 8:18 pm
My (Texas) Senator has said that we have more important things to spend our money on than figuring out the problems with the bees. He doesn’t ever get my vote.
..
May 16, 2015 at 9:43 am
Love it, Karin. I knew you’d rise to this challenge in a fine way. Love the subtle nod to bees, and all the rest. We haven’t had rain either, have you? They said today, but so far, dry dry. Anyway I know you will keep tinkering with this but I think it’s a fine jolly yet dark specimen. 🙂
May 16, 2015 at 12:40 pm
Thanks so much, Marian–I almost did something just purely fun, but then this kept coming to the fore–k.
On Sat, May 16, 2015 at 10:43 AM, ManicDDaily wrote:
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May 16, 2015 at 2:20 pm
An eco-friendly rhyming poem. What else could I want on this beautiful Saturday evening in the Big Smoke? 🙂 Thanks.
Greetings from London.
May 16, 2015 at 2:29 pm
Ha. Thanks. k.
On Sat, May 16, 2015 at 3:20 PM, ManicDDaily wrote:
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May 16, 2015 at 7:29 pm
Funny you should mention fracking, when I was in Nebraska I heard a commercial touting the miracles of fracking and the job possibilities etc. etc. first time I heard a pro fracking commercial. this was really wonderful, the rhymes, the message, the bees…I loved it.
May 26, 2015 at 12:15 am
we are certainly seriously fracked. ahem. ~