When germs and virus could be killed
extinguished with this simple spray
for cleanliness we all were thrilled
not knowing there’s a price to pay
when poison lakes and streams are filled
and cancer turns our brains to clay
remembered where to send your bills
to companies that never pay
as DDT was just distilled
Spray by Roy Lichtenstein
I had to write a 55 word piece for G-man.. his last week in action. So here is my simple little rhyme with some mean something I hope.
—
March 28, 2014
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Yes, there’s certainly a price for all the “quick fixes”.
A price no-one will pay.
or we all will…
It is so silly what we do for “cleanliness”. Honestly, dirty hands and muddy feet is what I grew up on. I would run through the horse coral (think manure) and run down our gravel driveway and not even feel the stones. A total tom-girl and I NEVER remember being sick during the summer (I always seemed to get the flu during Christmas break and I was prone to car sickness … 🙂
Medicine… my oldest sister died due to a case of a misused medicine for kidney problems… Of course, in the 60’s no one sued. And it wouldn’t bring her back…
I was just browsing around for pictures and found the Lichtenstein painting.. and thought about all the stupid things we did (and probably still are doing)
Bless to dirt
We are quite simply not as dirty as they say we are. I have never fallen for that. They try to make you believe it so they can sell you their fix. Good story.
Ah. thank you.. no thankfully I have never fallen for it…
You have made a valid point, Bjorn.
I hope so… I hope there will be less poisons…
The price that keeps on paying in more ways than we imagined. Hopefully we’ll get wiser about consequences. Loved your clever 55.
You sure have that right Bjorn.
I love the satirical note you hit here. Light rhyming poetry has a grand tradition. Byron, Pope, Swift, Eliot, Auden (and others) have drawn attention to the need for change through ridicule.
And the 50’s vibe to the piece (the era, when companies began catering to the burgeoning middle class, in earnest, by creating and promoting rampant consumerism) is absolutely – PERFECT.
What was that company’s address again? Better put it in the file for the future.
Not many people can turn current concerns into a good poem, Björn, but you are just an expert at it.
we pay one way or another, don’t we?
Bjorn…
My brain has turned to clay without DDT
But your way sounds dreadful.
Loved your Germy 55 My Friend.
Thanks for playing, thanks for your support
Please give the new hostesses a chance
Have a Kick Ass Week-End
and all the good bacteria we are killing in our cleanliness
its only going to get worse…what is convenient in the moment
will be our futures price….
What a price to pay, yikes ~ I have seen those poison take lives and to think our forefathers survived without those things ~ Happy Friday to you ~
we way too seldom think about the price we have to pay… that is a weird cleanness hype… ugh
All the antibacterial stuff drives my husband insane. Being in the science/health field he believes that people need to build up their immune systems and that this obsession with cleanliness makes people more susceptible.
Very apt commentary, Bjorn. I’m with Kathryn’s husband on this issue.
This is tight and makes us think. We sleep in the bed we make.
AMEN AMEN AMEN.
Can I say I agree? The same company that brought us Agent Orange and notorious Round-Up is now filling our bellies with genetically modified everything in a stew of Round-Up poison. I’ve had three friends diagnosed with breast cancer in the last six months, and I’m sorry, but the pink ribbon shit is not cutting it. We need to start talking about the cause instead of a cure. There is no cure for what Monsanto is doing and there never will be until we have politicians with guts and educated consumers.
Your poem is about something my mind dwells on, worries about. I have made lifestyle changes over the decades to ensure that I am not a part of the consumerism portion in this horror. And I content myself by sending donations to groups that I know I can trust to add muscle to my voice of concern. If people have worries about what groups to trust I suggest using the excellent services of Charity Navigator.
Okay, I will lighten up now and wish you a peaceful week ahead!
Good poem, Bjorn. Another problem is antibiotics. We’re so full of them they don’t have the same affect. However, that said, I lived the first part of my childhood without them and suffered a lot. There are pluses and minuses. Same with DDT. Some biological solution needs to be found for getting rid of some of the pests. For instance, bedbugs are making a big comeback. Bugs not only make us uncomfortable, they can carry disease.
Ah.. I guess the moderation is what is needed.. 🙂