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Details of my Poetry Month Project can be found here.
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14. Itaipu Dam
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...
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| 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.
My poem:
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Use: http://www.unit-conversion.info/texttools/ascii/
Kevin
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.
ReplyDeleteITAIPU- A POEM IN TWO VOICES
ReplyDeleteIt 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
Such hard decisions. Like many, I want both! The electricity and the wild splendor. Sigh. Beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteMary 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