I'd rather be

By Faith Chatham - June 24, 2010
I'd rather be writing poetry
Or painting
Or wandering aimlessly through the woods
than learning about bad Air Quality
or combating toxic gas and lax pipeline safety practices
in my neighborhood.
Last night neighbors from all quadrants
of our town gathered.
Few show up to vote in a City Election,
but the City Council chambers was filled to overflowing
of folks making their case,
stating facts as we see them,
pleading for our neighborhoods,
for the safety of our families, our neighbors,
the poor, the rich, the sick, the elderly,
even those yet unborn.
Our town is a multi-cultural melting pot.
Everyone was represented there.
Some spoke in broken English with a Vietnames accent.
the woman next to me has a Creole Louisiana sound.
There were

Maybe our life together is a poem.
Our efforts a painting
Our words a reflection of concern
motivated into action.
Maybe individually and together we form the thoughts
that dance from mind to mind
and then take form.
May the pleas and wisdom and warnings uttered in that hall
incite a call to prudent action
dramatic change
Each person's comments fit like mosiac pieces
clustered close among the others,
different yet distinctly important
ringing an element to be considered
too important to overlook
Calling for policies based on sound science
monitoring to determine the reality
rather than dodging and reliance on questionable sources
and inconclusive data
We showed you technology easily available
which can eliminate some of the hazards.

I'd rather be reading poetry, painting, or lingering with friends in conversation
than debating gas well ordinance policy with politicans.
Yet for now, this is the mosiac of the minds that we're given.