earth note 68

heard on the news the other day
there was a concrete shortage
because we've been so
fucking busy
paving the earth
and on an ozone action day alert
to boot
115 degree temperatures in texas
floods in tennessee
parched forests to feed florida's wildfires
(we drained the wetlands, remember?)

where have
all
the flowers
gone
grow them in your basement
you may want to eat them

--- e b bortz

(published in Whiskey Island #42, 2000)
(published in earth notes and other poems, Least Bittern Books, 2015)