CITY SLICKER
By
Chief Swift Eagle

I woke up this morning and said with a sigh,
"Look at the beautiful soot in the sky."
I craned my neck and cocked my ear
To hear the cacophonous den from Old Smear.
Old Smear is the factory near my abode.
Whose raucous den blends with that from the road.

Another gray day for this modern cog
To creep along freeway like metal hedgehog.
Maybe I'll join a new club today
To save the Polyester from rampant decay.
We all must recycle our jeans and our hose
We need more gas masks for everyone's nose.

I went to the museum and stood on my toes
And peered through a crowd for glimpse of a rose.
"A horrendous expense," said a man in the crowd,
"For one little flower, why's it allowed?"
"We don't need flowers, their pots smell bad!
Their sharp thorns can prick you." Isn't that sad?
We need more highways to get there from here!
We need more roadways to change far to near!

I shuffled outside, wiped the tears from my eyes,
"It certainly is smoggy," I smiled with a sigh.
The air has such character, such variety of smell.
It makes one proud we are doing so well.
Look at the cycles, the autos and trucks.
Listen to the hum and construction mega bucks.

Yes, industry gives character to all that we breathe.
I'11 enjoy a little Oxygen from a vending machine.
Conveniently located and priced for the masses.
All can use the machines, the schools all give classes.
Three breaths for a quarter, then move right along.
If you try to take four, the machine sounds a gong.

I wonder how people used to breathe
Before machines replaced the trees?

Copyrights 1987 - All Rights Reserved