By EnglishOutlaw
Ode on a Plastic Urn
Thou still ravishing bride of ocean
Thou foster-child of science and slow time.
Polyethylene historian, who canst express
Our foolish tale more bitt'ly than our rhyme:
What advertising legend haunts about thy shape
Of calories or sugars, or of both
Of Coke or the joys of Pepsi?
What men or gods drank these? What maidens sipp'd?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to drink?
What straws and caps? What wild thirst?
Tasted drinks are sweet, but those untasted
Are sweeter; therefore, ye plastic bottle, float on;
Show to the spirit promises of no merit:
Wretched youth, beneath the waves, thou canst not leave
Thy form, nor can those seas be bare;
Bold colour, never, never canst thou fade
Though floating in the sunlight, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though thou hast brought no bliss,
For ever wilt thou float, and in the sea be there.
Ah, wasteful wasteful cup! That canst shed
Thy fibres, and never bid the waves adieu;
And, foolish vessel, unwearied,
For ever pois'ning fish for ever new;
More guppies gone! More, guppies, guppies gone!
No longer warm, and not to be enjoy'd,
No longer panting, and for ever young;
All-consuming human passion far above,
That leaves a heart sorrowful and awed
A burning ocean, and a parch'd land.
Who are these not coming t'sacrifice?
To that green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead'st thou peoples cursing at the skies,
And their corp'eal forms with plastics drest?
What little town by river or sea shore,
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel.
Is not littered by these folk, who now mourn?
And, little town, thy streets for evermore
Will silent be; and not a soul to tell
Why natural grace, can ne'er return.
O Bottle shape! Mere platitudes! With brede
Of callous men and Nature overwrought,
With forest branches and rubbish strewed;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Plastic!
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, cause of our woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
“Beauty was truth, truth beauty, - that is all
Ye should have known on earth, and all ye needed to know.”
Acrylic and Acetal A-list Playlist:
Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon – Plastic Jesus
Eric Bogle – Plastic Paddy
The Sugarcubes – Dear Plastic
Toby Keith – Red Solo Cup
X-Ray Spex – Plastic Bag
Rubella Ballet – Plastic Life
Gojira – Toxic Garbage Island
Spy vs. Spy – Credit Cards
NOFX – One Million Coasters
Macka B – Never Played a 45
Swamp Dogg – Synthetic World
Wulantoya – Plastic Flower
Paul Newman – Plastic Jesus
Bakelite and Biodegradable B-list Playlist:
Dizzy Joghurt – Plastic Drop
Ruben Blades - Plastico
Captain Beefheart – Plastic Factory
Duran Duran – Plastic Girl
Wolfe Tones – Plastic Bullets
Gary Og – Plastic Bullets
The Piranhas – Coloured Music
Drive-By Truckers – Plastic Flowers on the Highway
P!nk – Barbies
Aqua – Barbie Girl
L7 – The Bomb
Mariya Takeuchi – Plastic Love
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Guru's Wildcard Plastic Pick:
Philthy – For the Record
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Got the bottle? The last straw? It's songs about plastic. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...
Fancy a turn behind the pumps at The Song Bar? Care to choose a playlist from songs nominated and write something about it? Then feel free to contact The Song Bar here, or try the usual email address.