In 1996, New York City’s maintenance workers went on strike. This is one ten-year-old’s take on the impending chaos.
[sic everything]
They garbage will be everywhere
city will be garbage
No trucks
they lose there jobs
they get a raise
central park will be garbage park
the city will smell bad
you would have to wear a mask to breathe
family might get mad at them
everyone will be recycleing and reusing
more natural things
garbage could get into ponds and kill/hurt animals
everything will be made of trash
people would burn garbage
more fires
fire department and doctors will get more jobs
People could die
Doctors will work over time
Bugs
Cans overflow
plants Die
no more air
no clean water
take bath constantly
people couldn’t get out of there house and die
fin
Tags: bugs, garbage, garbage park, garbage strike, jaya saxena, matt lubchansky, poetry, this is why jaya isn’t a poet
Everything about this is perfect, but the line “fire department and doctors will get more jobs” and the champagne toast picture are KILLING ME.
Garbage horse is also pretty fantastic.
Garbage horse with pizza neck: One of the lesser-known horses of the Apocalypse.
the fireman’s bow tie!!
But of course! All capitalist fat cats wear bow ties.
Bugs. BUGS.
Aww man, does Mallory have to come back?
SACRILEGE.
“It’s just that we no longer feel that ‘central’ is the defining attribute of this park, and here in New York we consider accuracy to be of paramount importance.”
I want to know more about the circumstances leading to the writing of this poem! Was it an assignment, or were you just struck with inspiration?
I found it in my 5th grade class notebook, so I’m guessing it was some sort of current events assignment! I enjoy that even then I was aware of the conspiracy that was clearly happening.
I’d like to imagine that the assignment was actually this specific. “Class, today I’d like you to write a free-verse poem about the garbage workers’ strike. Make sure to consider both pros and cons!”
I found it in my 5th grade class notebook, so I'm guessing it was some sort of current events assignment! I enjoy that even then I was aware of the conspiracy that was clearly happening.
My face is the biggest smile right now. Also, this is not very different from some contemporary poems I have seen and heard, so Jaya was just ahead of her time.
I definitely like it better than the other poem about garbage strikes (I assume), The Waste Land.
And I will show you something different from either
The garbage at morning striding behind you
Or the garbage at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of trash.
Excellent.
And I will show you something different from either
The garbage at morning striding behind you
Or the garbage at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of trash.
I was worried you guys had peaked early with Dolphin Prince, but you’re crushing it all over the place. Like a trash compactor.
I was worried you guys had peaked early with Dolphin Prince, but you're crushing it all over the place. Like a trash compactor.
amazing