Child's Play

Drink Shannon to the dregs, they will

and spill her on the way;

drunk with surfeit, bare of sense,

living only for the day. 

And the day will come

when the wasted drops

and the billions wasted before

will float away the ancient mop

dingy and dripping behind the door. 

The children will play at the reservoir

piped in by a very big straw --

funny Dublin blowing bubbles (!)

bigger than any you ever saw. 

When the bubbles burst and float away

and there's no more froth to spill,

the children will see that it's Reckoning Day --

but do you think Dublin will?

Dedicated to the River Shannon.

Beyond All Measure*

*Dedicated to all who are trying to save the River Shannon.

Threads dangling,

God's river hanging

on the words of a committee --

flimsy plans, such a pity! 

If they'd only listen to the 

men of the river -- 

algal blooms to make one shiver

will spread with Nature's cry suppressed

as city men of means, well-dressed,

seize water from the country folk,

around their necks place Dublin's yoke,

and watch the Shannon bleed her treasure

beyond all man-made, reckless measure.

Links:
1)  River Shannon Protection Alliance: "Why we say the Dublin Region Water Supply Project is a bad scheme" (October 26, 2011) 
2)  The Midland Tribune - News (June 7, 2012) - "Councillors Opposed To Pumping Water To Dublin"