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Thanks A Lot

It was this stupid thing
to exploit little kids
saying big words—
like that’d made any difference.
It was to the theme of Grease,
“We Belong Together,”
except they replaced all the lines
with recycling and do-gooder notes.
In hot-glued costumes and stage lights
we sand like there was no tomorrow:
“Let’s work together/to clean up the land, the sea, the air/
It’s now or never/so get up, get out, and show you care/
Let’s all pitch in and do our part/that’s the way it should be.”

“Recycle what you use/and then the Earth won’t lose/green trees
and skies of blue/avoid polluting our air/show everyone you care/
It’s up to me and you.”

And we kept on singing
until there was no tomorrow.

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Emily Dwyer, age 15
North Point, Florida
Pine View School
Teacher: Ann Skipper