Monday, August 20, 2012

The Milkman


MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY
THE MILKMAN

Different hemispheres, different weather,
Different memories altogether.
*
I lived my youth in a chilly clime;
Winter was freezing much of the time.
We'd collect our bottles from by the door
But the sparrows had visited them before!
The cardboard tops had been cast aside,
So they could sip the 'ice-cream' inside!
*
Australian friends tell a different tale,
Of bottled milk gone rather stale.
It was free in schools and delivered there
All in the hot and humid air!
After even less than an hour
The milky contents were rather sour!
But 'Drink up!' was the admonition,
Whatever the bottled milk's condition.
*
Different hemispheres, different weather,
Different memories altogether.
*
----------------------------------------------



COGS

The conveyor belt is relentless;
The 'items' come and go;
A tweak, a nip, a turn of screw;
Keep going, don't be slow!
Everyone dressed identically,
Every eye looking down,
Every heart beating wretchedly,
Every brow wearing a frown.
This is Thoreau's 'Quiet Desperation'
In its most painful form,
This is Huxley's 'Brave New World';
And for some it is the norm.
We gobble up what they make for us;
We never consider their plight;
They are locked in far-off factories,
Mercifully out of sight.
When they arise in the morning,
Certainly before the sun,
Do they ever feel a leap of joy
Thinking of work to be done?
Society clearly needs them,
But do we ever take heed
Of the faceless people in overalls
Who feed our endless greed?

*





5 comments:

Liz said...

Nice poem. Have a fabulous week.

Liz @ MLC
Liz @ YACB

raf said...

Always a pleasure and never a crime
to idle a while with Rinkly Rimes.

All the best!

Kim, USA said...

I so wish milkman is still around.


Kim,USA

Unknown said...

amazing, so that's how they process milk... cool poem. hope you could visit my mellow yellow monday here: http://www.jollytoes.com/2012/08/05/the-yellow-cabs-in-new-york-city-and-sephora-building/

lorik said...

I remember the warm milk we had to drink at "Little Lunch" everyday. The only good part was being a Milk Monitor - you got to get the crates out ready for Little Lunch. We made the milk drinkable with flavoured straws that were popular for a while back then. I can't imagine what chemicals we were ingesting!
It was a great thing for the dairy farmers but not so good for a population of kids who grew up not liking milk - unless it was flavoured.

Interesting post:)