I have known the inexorable sadness of litter on countryside walks
thrown along hedgerows of gleaming berries
out of place but in near sight. The misery of mucky polystyrene food boxes
amongst marsh marigolds and achillea
flung from cars and wrappers of sandwiches
hinged like dentures to snap shut
over hungry hedgehogs or thirsty toads.
‘M’ or ‘Starbucks’ cups with unnecessary plastic lids
harmful havens of no return for tiny creatures.
The selfish scattering of chocolate covers
torn, sweet papers – all plastic – strewn
and cigarette butts, heeled into verges of
daisies, buttercups and dandelions
to blow about in breezes
or to be caught under hedges,
in ditches, and amongst the wild flowers
left by the Council for bees and butterflies
who now do battle with all this human debris.
Here lies the detritus of greed,
the refuse of recalcitrant rebels
who refuse to listen to the pleas in the news,
online, in social media, at school – everywhere –
about rubbish and pollution,
global warming and doom.
Don’t they care?
I know the disgust of black or green
little plastic bags full of dog poo tossed
up trees, hung from fences or chucked into ditches.
Why?
In nature surely ‘stick and flick’
or taking home to a bin
is better than more plastic to poison the view,
pollute our land, our rivers, our wildlife???
Plastic traps and ensnares,
suffocates, drowns out the pleasure
that was once a countryside walk.
Sue Foster