The plasticity of plastic
Is no longer fantastic
Micro-plastics are the new evil now
Having made their way into our arteries somehow
That plastics are bad we intuitively knew
But they were so ubiquitous, what could one do
We ate out of plastic containers, bagged our groceries
In plastic bags, wore polyester clothing free from unwanted crease
Plastics had invaded aquatic life, we had heard
But micro (and nano) plastics had not yet become buzzwords…
*
An article in the most reputable medical publication
On plastic in blood vessels causing inflammation
Has taken the world by storm, opened our half-shut eyes
To the dangers of plastic, made all of us realize
That human-made can be dangerous to humankind
For inventors of plastic, this must have been the thing on their minds!
*
Another lesson learnt that nature we cannot outsmart
After flooding the planet with plastic, now we have to start
Replacing plastic with natural materials, just like in old days
To secure our future, we have to embrace our past in some ways
This poem refers to the article in New England Journal of Medicine cited here: Marfella R, Prattichizzo F, et al. Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events. N Engl J Med. 2024 Mar 7;390(10):900-910. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2309822. PMID: 38446676.
Passion...unbridled 