Cast Away, written by Naomi Shihab Nye. Greenwillow Books, Harper. 2020. $9.99 ages 12 and up

 

"But this is nothing, nothing, nothing
next to, say, the city of Aleppo,"
one of the most gracious metropolises
ever made, over centuries, the arches, 
the carefully inlaid tiles, 
curling avenues strung on lines for display,
gorgeous curlicued rugs, 
what it used to be, what it became. 
War is the worst waste - no imagination.
What did anyone gain?"

An exploration of the many things humans throw away is the premise for this stellar book of poetry from the prolific Naomi Shihab Nye. She is a dedicated trash picker, committed to making her personal space healthier by noticing and picking up trash everywhere she goes. She stands in awe of nature and the environment. She is perpetually amazed at how easily humans throw things away. 

"To clear my thoughts next morning, 
I go pick up more trash at the Number 11B bus stop. 
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers, 
haven't seen these in a long time. 
Empty blue matchbox. A lost wheel, 
the kind an office chair might miss, 
a red comb with a long handle, 
broken headlight from a bike, 
three straws, four jelly containers,
two pennies, orange peelings, 
unwrapped food scraps are always a different story,
you leave them to return to earth, 
and then I find a giant eagle feather
and my brain settles down." 

She writes beautifully and makes it her personal mission to have her readers notice what is in front of them, and she doesn't stop at trash. With humor, indignation, and clear vignettes, she presents her words in a conversational voice that invites attention and reaction. She worries for the homeless and immigrants - too often throwaway people in the eyes of far too many. She names names and pays compliments to those who work to make change. 

There are eighty poems; each clearly has an impact for those who read them carefully and respond to her plea for action. There are five sections, divided into routes: Sweepings, Titters and Tatters, Odds & Ends, Willy-Nilly and Residue. Readers will surely find their own favorites. Reading each one of them them made me stop occasionally and think about my own practice - and, how I might make a change, and a difference. What choices do you make that can be altered for a better world?

"Junk Mail     

The great poet
William Stanley Merwin
known as W. S. 
wrote first drafts of his poems
on junk mail envelopes
plucked from the garbage
so he never had to worry 
about wasting paper
or being perfect"