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Monday, April 14, 2014

Our Wonderful World.14

Details of my Poetry Month Project can be found here.




Compromise

Hungry for energy,
we sacrifice wild splendor,
harnessing the river's power,
taming it with concrete and steel,
satisfied with this compromise.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014


When the Itaipu Dam was built, the sacrifice was the Guaíra Falls, the world's largest waterfall by volume. Was it worth it? Depends how you determine worth, I guess...

image from The Misanthrope's Journal


Carol wrote two poems for the Golden Gate Bridge yesterday. They are at Carol's Corner.

Kevin has an unusual poem for today. But it's also perfect for the wonder. The Itaipu Dam converts the energy of water into electricity. To understand Kevin's poem, you'll have to translate it. Check it out here. For more poetry fun, check out the Grant Snider's Poetry Posters that Kevin is highlighting.

5 comments:

  1. My poem:
    068 097 109 110 046 013 010 073 116 039 115 032 098 105 103 046 013 010 066 111 108 100 044 032 101 118 101 110 046 013 010 065 032 110 101 116 032 111 102 032 101 110 101 114 103 121 013 010 119 104 111 115 101 032 115 111 117 110 100 116 114 097 099 107 013 010 099 097 110 032 098 101 032 104 101 097 114 100 013 010 109 097 110 121 032 109 105 108 101 115 032 097 119 097 121 044 013 010 097 032 115 111 117 110 100 105 110 103 032 115 116 111 110 101 013 010 111 102 032 114 097 119 032 102 108 111 119 046 013 010 072 111 119 032 109 097 110 121 032 109 111 117 116 104 115 013 010 099 111 117 108 100 032 104 097 118 101 032 098 101 101 110 032 102 101 100 013 010 102 111 114 032 116 104 101 032 099 111 115 116 032 111 102 013 010 116 104 105 115 032 101 110 103 105 110 101 101 114 105 110 103 032 102 101 097 116 063 013 010 068 097 109 110 046

    ????
    Use: http://www.unit-conversion.info/texttools/ascii/

    Kevin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sad to see the difference in the pictures, but I like electricity, would not deny it to others. Are they satisfied? It's often a question.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ITAIPU- A POEM IN TWO VOICES
    It won't format right here, you have to go to my blog to see it.

    Paraná River,
    world’s seventh largest
    natural border between
    Brazil and Paraguay

    is it possible
    to harness
    this immense power






    Guaíra Falls
    twice Niagara’s height
    twice Niagara’s flow

    submerged forever

    “Here seven visions,
    seven liquid
    sculptures
    vanished
    through computerized calculations
    of a country
    ceasing to be human
    in order to become
    a chilly corporation,
    nothing more. “
    -Carlos Drummond de Andrade,
    "Farewell to Seven Falls"

    Unprecedented cooperation
    between Brazilian and Paraguayan
    governments.
    Argentina too!
    Look!
    Look what we can do
    if we work together!





    Our people
    are farmers.
    Ten thousand
    will lose their land.
    Their homes.
    Their livelihoods.

    Ninety percent of Paraguay’s power!
    One fourth of Brazil’s!

    We could be
    burning
    434,000 barrels
    of oil
    per day!





    Rare fruit trees,
    orchids
    animals species
    Gone.

    Breeding and
    migration patterns
    forever changed

    Itaipu!
    One of the seven wonders
    of the modern world!

    (C) Carol Wilcox, 2014






    ReplyDelete
  4. Such hard decisions. Like many, I want both! The electricity and the wild splendor. Sigh. Beautiful poem.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mary Lee, it gives me goosebumps to see a part of my family's home country in your blog as I'm too familiar with the Itaipu and Guaira Falls. And yes, tough decisions as we need both in our world. Beautiful poems. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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