Brian O’Dowd was born in Dublin. He lives in Toronto. O’Dowd is a Professor at the University of Toronto. His novel ‘A Wicklow Girl’, was published in 2017. Available on Amazon etc. Publisher: Tellwell, Canada. In 2019 he won the prestigious Prix Galien 2019 Canadian Science Award, as reported in the Irish Times.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/dubliner-wins-prix-galien-2019-award-for-pharmaceutical-research-1.4093350

Boomers are Leaving Ⓒ

Brian O’Dowd

Robots may be needed.

Boomers now petering out having arrived in euphoric blasts, now teetering on shaky legs. Got by ration free, post WW2 instead had bestowed an abundance. Now world waiting to see back of them, while boomers dwell over their dwindling summers. Trying to make best while approaching their onrushing demise. Some will go reach 100 years, don’t fool yourself it’s very few. Read a daily news, our famous ones dropping like flies. Birth, live a little and it’s over. Sure what’s wrong with that? Take a bow boomers, you had it that easy in clover.

Je ne regrette rien!

Sorry now if our parting glass has runneth over. Every hazard along the way our lot dived right in. Latest is a doozy and gaining head of steam. Now educated that plastics are not like rocks being pounded to sand making a beach. They form seas of microplastic poison, great ocean garbage patches, an ocean gyre. Also these same contaminants will sink to bottom of the ocean for no good intent, with chemicals leaching.

Earth gone wrong, oh count our ways.

Not dust to dust with them yokes.

Likely been bane of many a young planet.

Is anyone rooting for us on blue Goldilocks?

We are as toddlers in kindergarten.

Still learning with ways to go.

Swotted loads about microplastics, right dickens of a problem. Once they appeared molded en masse filled by great expectations enjoyed for ages, now it’s hard time at bleak house. Extravagant use of polymers our latest ‘chicken little’ problem. Reports with ‘wolf’ warning cries, when observing microplastics in brain, enter perhaps thru’ the nose. Dire straits and with no one changing habits. As rats followed pied piper we followed a plastic piper. Then reading of plastic shards in testicles, possibly driving sperm count down.

Warning!

Canaries in the minds are chirping.

Don’t say we did not change the world.

Forever down the ages overpowered by loads of tiny yokes. Once disease seemingly coming from nowhere. Blame something. We’ve declared war on bugs, yeast, bacteria, virus, mad cow prions. Takes an age to get handle with all that, yet we fought back! Won a few battles. Still at war with their endlessly adjusting polished armour. Perhaps relax about global warming now if doomed with micro-plastics, sure that’s likely a bigger fish to fry. We’d finally abandoned brutal harpoons now we’ve prepared a plastic ocean. I’ve ploughed thru’ science papers, including Journal of Hazardous Materials, various books while making notes. Being of two minds surrounded by my personal acquired polymer collection. Oh they contain memories, my prized Statue of Liberty from visiting the big apple, a mermaid and a comical cat. Although prefer stone, wood and glass, plastic mementoes more available. They say if the house is burning people rescue family photo albums, I also value my souvenirs. Righteous boomers living flamboyant with plastics like there is no tomorrow. Hope you next lot do better. Lucky full ramifications of future prediction damage delayed till I’m pushing up daises.

Why we always stupid, frankly often out of our depth? Way too shallow. Much unhelpful reptilian brain remains mingled in human skulls. Why not learn from nature? Only recycle! There to see! Nature not making billions of material poison for the planet, except by proxy by making us. Nature makes earth bloom and blossom! Remember dust to dust, not indestructible fragments. Earth always able to try again and rejuvenate.

Quick clean table.

Look like better,

next customer come.

Only solution make Earth hot like Mercury or upside down inside out moon Io. Only us alone in this place, no help come from solar system (a ‘Copernican System’). No emergency call as no one around. Our lonely blue dot, making us custodians of third planet big mistake. Better to stay with elegant swans and pretty flamingoes, scarlet Ibis, pandas and bunny rabbits chewing on cabbage. Why inflict a world with us type of demons? Times will come needing smart robots run the joint, look after us as we get demoted by our follies.

When look back.

Yeah looks grand!

Then make loads,

flawed Human philosophy.

Many times too much.

I’m okay with the going, it’s leaving that’s hardest. Getting outa here before micros hit the fan. In ways we improved lots in this world. Just this detritus pile you’ll have to clean up. If possible? Ah sure anyway do your best.

Polymer Invasion

We asked for it! Parkesine in 1862 invented by Alexander Parkes, described as useful alternative to ivory. Then 1907 with Bakelite termed the first plastic, created by Leo Baekeland. Once we’d Shellac, made from ‘Lac insects’, hundred uses each of 16 Billiard balls and 78 rpm records. Now with 9.2 billion tons of plastic polymers produced 1950 to 2017, in 30 years-time predicted to be over one billion tons/year. Plastics big flaw they break down to microplastic, then nanoplastic, painful slow decomposition rate if ever gone. While us boomers designed as fit to biodegrade.

Our innocent hippy yesterdays.

‘Give me more!’

Peace with love!

World went on gaga spree with these materials unleashed. Rewarded with balloons, coloured footballs, water in bottles not tap, souvenir trinkets on shelves. Stylish shoes galore, light weight rain coats, cushioned furniture. Addictive success for that new car smell! Uniform of nylons with high heels. Progress! Christmas toys to medical instruments and everything else between, look inside any shop count the ways.

‘Pour cold water.’ or ‘Hang on there a mo.’

What even luddites not dared holler.

‘Better do environmental test.’

Before let loose billions of this plastic stuff.

Unleash that kracken on our futures?

Organic chemistry one sneaky two headed snake! Too much, too far, too soon. Yeah, time and time again. Fun times but has consequences. We drove our kindergarten orb unguided at full speed ahead. Likely a place where civilizations transition, unstoppable demand onward advance! Avoid balloons at frivolous celebrations, one exception Eurovision winning! Can someone please make paper-mache balloons? Not ones with burning candles. No malarkey. Also need paper straws, while I’m set against drinking beer with them.

Look it’s something,

go suck it and see.

Most plastics not recycled and apparently 50 kg plastic ‘produced’ annually by each of us, we are all participants! No place for weaseling out. Boo-hoo nature disgusted with us, polluting a prized creation. Like throwing soup at a Van Gogh. Once Nature had high hopes for us, I feel that pain and shame. We got too smart in our rubber wellingtons. Mayhem will go on, more abysses in store. Better hope smart bots quickly emerging on line. No pointing fingers! We covered every planet corner cranny, delicate ocean creatures now shudder with our garbage in their neighbourhood.

Micro-Messing

Boomers changed the world, also tore a strip off the planet? What if all for nowt? Yeah so we damaged the world. That’s why no one will miss us. Along the way encountering no bypass of dire pits, ‘twas lots of threats inherited from our previous lot. Take a walk down on our abyss street. Lead in petrol, chlorofluorocarbons, DTT killing bald eagles and ospreys, ozone depletion harming penguins, constant anxiety of rocky chunks from space, ones that show up when missed by early detection. Bio-plagues, tobacco smoke, asbestos, radioactive melt downs. LSD blowing minds, unleashed in the sixties. Psychedelic like no other time. Then diseases frozen in time stored in melting glaciers.

Hard putting lipstick on microplastics, only makes for scary readings. Boomers lives surrounded by polymers, our habits to frolic latest low lying fruits with abandon. Best intentions these synthetics enhanced our lives, tires and even roads plastic paved into asphalt, comfortable pillows no feathers, everyday trashing endless wrappers. No cares in the world. Brightened our lives with colour, compared to fellow ruffian’s drab black and white existence of previous times. Die got cast in plastic, microplastic, nano-plastic even too small to see! Just never gone. Need atom colliders be sure to check. Still there! Never noticed sun rays deflected by microplastic in falling rain. Back to haunt and frighten us on our fertile earth.

So how on earth could we know?

Well you’ve heard clamour of climate warming and big space rocks too.

Some might say our generation went to dark side,

Should wear placard on the back

(David Copperfield style).

‘Take care, they’ll litter.

Like nobodies business.

Waster’s Harbinger

Boomers ‘Stewards of the Earth’. Ha! Pull the other one. Those few day music festivals back then required colossal waste collections, bulldozers needed for tons of bits and pieces dumped. Boomers hit the road when music ended. How we hippies rolled. Nature of the beast. Nowadays, ‘Hey man don’t step on my perfect lawn.’ Are we conquered? Oh yes.

But as always.

Peace and Love.

Never the less.

Iron age and Stone age and others passed, did thread more softly on the earth. Not much discarded! Objects valued. These advanced days we investigate quantum entanglement, not thinking plastic should be constrained? See what’s designed to recycle, born to bloom and live again. Have harvest time. Word to the wise. ‘All things must pass’, but now perhaps not.

Ray for Hope

Need big brained genius like Turing and Einstein, keep inventing tiny proteins to chew it all away. What can we do now? Live with or without? As donkey betwixt two hay bales.

Fail of boomers to fix things.

Any one last hurrah?

Well that’s maybe.

Each of us have our own life time trail of plastic detritus. Gathered with no care in the world. Need smart robots take care of us they being immune to micros. Help us deal with expected ravages.

There are now encouraging research reports of various methods using biology to degrade plastics. Hopefully such excellent work will continue and generate ‘moon shot’ focus now required. Keep fingers crossed. Best wishes!

Those Times Before

My mother carried one and only leather-cloth shopping bag off out at the shops. Most toys crafted from tin and wood. Cobblers with packed hobbled waiting rooms. Yesterday’s newspaper wrapped fish and chips. Dad’s precious radio/record player encased in polished wooden cabinet, real Christmas trees had lights on display. Family and friends spent Sunday travel together, CIE bus for sea air by Howth, otherwise stayed right put. Many not wandered much beyond their county for long. Glass milk bottles, big bread basket at front door. Before ‘best thing ever’ DIY sliced by carving knife, tipsy cake on Friday! Polished brogues of leather would be fit for life. At school biros scorned and shunned, solid life time fountain pens required! Plastic found it’s way with ink cartridges, no escape, cancelled any laborious filling from ink bottle. Empty cartridges since filled with deep blue sea brine. Useful for handy eight arm octopus to complain. Now planet facing dire straits affect all walk of lives. Once cherished Santa gift from 1955 transformed to nano-plastic cast all about, doom with entering cells, unwanted interfering with life forms, clogging up their smooth churning wheels. Being confused with bits messing up thinking neurons. Ignorance no option, after facing Pearly Gates with full tally, you were sent to do no harm. They say don’t go about shouting ‘Fire’ in a crowded cinema, don’t wish to add to woes but we’ve gone and buggered up the planet. Okay we were a reckless bunch wild earthly business. Making a mess. Ozone layer (remember?), believe managed to halt, rescued threats to cold beer all summer long! One stooge to the next, targeted asbestos buildings got banned. One fiasco to another. Visitors from away don’t appear as our planet home is poisonous. Obviously cannot go onward like this. Something for youse following after us Booms to challenge. Well sorry for now. Need glass, paper, cardboard, wood, bags for life philosophy. Maybe tiny Ireland can mitigate it’s damages.

Boomer’s Life

(flashing the plastic)

Royal’s have servants and palaces, well ‘palaces’ likely moldy haunted damp ancient country houses. Living in same abode as ancestors, walls lined with portraits. This lad chopped so many heads, garrotted his mates. While us scruffy bowsies from two up two down, trod across an affordable planet, heading off on whims, taste world’s pallet. I’ll never have a yacht in the Med, but I’m a desired tourist, I can live the life. World wants likes of me, more than anyone! After two weeks vacation abroad I walk away happy with desired winter’s tan. Never encountered ‘money or your life’ vagabonds. Everywhere Supermarkets and they’re all super! I’m grateful. Most places set up to rock and roll, as students summer carnivals in Wildwood. Us gurriers heading abroad trusting great modern conveniences and hotel invitation, ‘Welcome’ mat my plastic card acceptable, even as a stranger I’m trusted to pay. Full hearty breakfast till 11am, not yer bread/fruit healthy continental. Loads to do, catered for our tourist entertainment. Wonderful ‘all inclusive deals’, gorgeous beaches with umbrella and wine bar on tap. Exciting Catamaran and Glass bottom boat trips. Restaurants all about. While room tidied with chocolate on the pillow. Tapped into convenience of banking world! While earning points. Excellent chauffeured Limo on arrival, even foreign strangers willing to rent perfect cars for my highway driving! Fabulous modern hotels, devoid of ghosts. Us Dublin Boomers strode worlds, off to Melbourne, Japan, West Indies islands for winter tan, Americas and the Europe’s. You cannot go wrong. Planes going anyway, any criticisms starts with Wright brothers. We gained education better than anywhere, hauled us over borders. Cry me a river, ways of the world. Once travel restricted only if joined foreign legion battles somewhere.

Rentals

Who created such trusting business?

I’m a wreck anyone driving my old car.

Anywhere we travelled brilliance arrived first.

All so organized.

Come in they said you’ll borrow my brand new vehicle!

Yes! We accept plastic card provided!

Good as gold!

Moses only observed a promised land, finally that arrived for us. We’d best of all worlds, no borders.

When we spoilt lot pass away how will we know? Heaven has a lot to live up to.

Irish beers in Toronto!

Best Irish uisce.

How they do that?

Come on hats off!

Timing is everything.

Blessed with schools

never chimney sweeps.

Acquired knowledge to baffle.

Got to be world’s Smarty pants!

We’d watch great films ‘Easy Rider’, ‘Love story’, then Gay’s Late, Late show, Jack Charlton, Showbands in Courtown, George Best with many Irish lads in the First Division. Dun Leary harbour. Dubliner Samuel Beckett Nobel winner in 1969, excelled at cricket. Man U played Coventry at Glenmalure, Milltown in 1963, great day! Val Doonican and Dave Allen on TV. Ireland packed enough for one life, but kept going as the world got handed to us in hand baskets. People complain about government, but needed to control. Banks, property, pensions, and inheritance. Even lawyers write it all down. Now with Boomers gathering at Heaven’s airport, it’s not long to bid ‘so long’ to younger buddies. Hope you next lot clean up the mess, left in our wake! How it should be.

We arrived, partied and polluted.

Oops!

Hoping hooligans don’t take it all away.

Need constables on the beat.

‘Evening all’.

No handcuffs just have a carefree life.

UFO Answer?

Need to get on the bikes take care of ourselves.

Space aliens a cold bunch, never a ‘heads up’? Us putting lead in petrol?

Okay look if warnings sent in crop circles well mega apologies! Fair dues. Needed ‘Rosetta stone’ for interpretation, sure without still banjaxed by them hieroglyphics. When space aliens hit the lawn of Aras an Uachtarain as they must. Our President’s first question, “Is there no Galaxy warning system. Seems like youse buzz around lots, everyone and his brother reports seeing UFOs nowadays. How come all so late. Could saved us such grief.”

Advice from Aliens so far ‘crickets’.

Only speedy Howzats!

From that bunch.

Where were youse lot?

Not granting us the nod.

Are we not worthy?

Now look at the mess!

We’ve plastics falling in rain.

Not cats and dogs.

Suspect from here to Andromeda it’s soap opera hilarity of Earth’s calamity. Another planet meeting it’s end from micro-dust. Seen it all before. Never an end of them and trail of pollutants left behind, scars on their planet. Even let it be said ‘leaching of chemicals’ when in contact with food or drink. Too close for comfort and too soon. I’ll say no more. Leaching left for another day. Brains only absorb so much.

Climate Change

Hotter Connemara!

Horrors!

Oh woe such tragedy to experience!

Sweat buckets in Aran ganseys.

Once if colder skate a salty ocean,

(still with jelly fish).

Tourist come for miserable weather.

Watch TV, rent funny movies.

Relax!

Go to the pubs.

Now need go wander outside?