Access roads gouge the hillsides.
42-ton tanker trucks rumble past
My house, shake the foundation,
And rattle my bones.
Fracking rigs sprout up like
Twisted parodies of trees
With lights that blaze 24/7.
Roaring flares that sound like a 747
Idling outside your house.
Benzene, toluene, xylene, methane
Stink like burning plastic.
Children choke on foul fumes
From the well pad beside their school.
Parents wonder what diseases they will get.
Wastewater impoundments contain (or don’t) toxic
Slurry with signs that say:
“Danger! Water Hazard! Keep Out!”
If I have to keep out of their water,
Why don’t they keep out of mine?
Sam Hoszwa