When I saw your prompt/challenge: The Tipping Point, my first thought was about the huge existential doom threat of global warming and general environmental degradation. As a writer, I like the specific, the concrete as opposed to the abstract, the wooly bully. I wanted to focus the global degradation on the specific location of Thornton Heath. As I peregrinated the area, I was astounded by the number of discarded mattresses on the streets. There are a number of local charities that sell on unwanted furniture for good causes. I see vans prowling the area offering house clearing services and rubbish disposal. People seem to prefer to excrete their stuff on to the streets.
Focus in a little closer. The house I stay in at Thornton Heath generates huge amounts of plastic. Here in Sri Lanka in my household, we do not eat much meat but have not persuaded our dogs to be vegetarians. Even so, we have very little for the garbage collectors to take when they deign to turn up.
At our house in Fort Neaf there are vast quantities of sturdy plastic because that is the way that the big supermarkets package things. Someone is making money along the chain.
We put very little out for the garbage collectors here in Sri Lanka.
So, I moved from the macrocosm to the microcosm. The world is going to hell in a handcart and look how it is working out today in Thornton blasted Heath.
I went off on a weave about signs and signifiers (semiotics). I could not resist a memory from James Joyce’s Ulysses.
"Ineluctable modality of the visible: at least that if no more, thought through my eyes. Signatures of all things I am here to read, seaspawn and seawrack, the nearing tide, that rusty boot. Snotgreen, bluesilver, rust: coloured signs. “
It's very interesting at the difference in the amount and types of waste, that does indeed tell a story.
Telling the story of the tipping point from a zoomed out perspective would have been interesting, but maybe it wouldn't have been Michael?! Never stop weaving!
Someone else can tell the story of the tipping point from a zoomed out perspective. I generally find zooming in more productive than zooming out. I like the concrete, the specific, rather than the vague. Fact rather than faith.
A sign I remember was positioned somexway from a river. It read 'No Fishing on this Land'......
It is not easy to format poetry the way one wants to on Substack. I may have to edit this
Oh... I did NOT expect this interpretation, this is fantastic Michael, a literal but out of the box perspective. Thank you for writing it.
It's a bit like the broken windows theory isn't it, once the tipping becomes seen as the norm it's almost impossible to change that.
Dear Mark,
When I saw your prompt/challenge: The Tipping Point, my first thought was about the huge existential doom threat of global warming and general environmental degradation. As a writer, I like the specific, the concrete as opposed to the abstract, the wooly bully. I wanted to focus the global degradation on the specific location of Thornton Heath. As I peregrinated the area, I was astounded by the number of discarded mattresses on the streets. There are a number of local charities that sell on unwanted furniture for good causes. I see vans prowling the area offering house clearing services and rubbish disposal. People seem to prefer to excrete their stuff on to the streets.
Focus in a little closer. The house I stay in at Thornton Heath generates huge amounts of plastic. Here in Sri Lanka in my household, we do not eat much meat but have not persuaded our dogs to be vegetarians. Even so, we have very little for the garbage collectors to take when they deign to turn up.
At our house in Fort Neaf there are vast quantities of sturdy plastic because that is the way that the big supermarkets package things. Someone is making money along the chain.
We put very little out for the garbage collectors here in Sri Lanka.
So, I moved from the macrocosm to the microcosm. The world is going to hell in a handcart and look how it is working out today in Thornton blasted Heath.
I went off on a weave about signs and signifiers (semiotics). I could not resist a memory from James Joyce’s Ulysses.
"Ineluctable modality of the visible: at least that if no more, thought through my eyes. Signatures of all things I am here to read, seaspawn and seawrack, the nearing tide, that rusty boot. Snotgreen, bluesilver, rust: coloured signs. “
Thank you so much for your support, Mark.
Best wishes,
Michael
It's very interesting at the difference in the amount and types of waste, that does indeed tell a story.
Telling the story of the tipping point from a zoomed out perspective would have been interesting, but maybe it wouldn't have been Michael?! Never stop weaving!
Thank you for both entering and entertaining!
I remember things before I was born.
Also I meant to type, "You do it so well" hope the meaning to my rushed typing came through
I did notice.
I notice, Mark, that you are apostrophe challenged. A plural does not require an apostrophe.
Haha, now I'm wondering if you're joking or if you can indeed remember being in the womb?!
A womb with a view.
😂
Someone else can tell the story of the tipping point from a zoomed out perspective. I generally find zooming in more productive than zooming out. I like the concrete, the specific, rather than the vague. Fact rather than faith.
And you don't so well, I have trouble remembering yesterday, you seem to remember all of the examples of things you've encountered so well!