I believe we have previously looked at the romantic aspects of the world’s worst underwater disaster with an anguished love letter from oil.
Now that it appears this unfortunate affair is coming to a close, there is hope that the hidden forces that have compelled such a powerfully bad and fascinating thing may have finally been capped. Already there are feelings of separation, and perhaps it’s time for a poetic lament from the point of view of the responsible party, whoever you suppose that to be.
Of all the mistakes
I have made down the line
There is nothing to match
That old oil leak of mine.
I knew well when we met
That the stars had aligned.
I had recklessly summoned
That old oil leak of mine.
We were doomed from the start
I was selfish and blind
With no place in my heart
For that oil leak of mine.
When they made us a pair
Called us two of a kind
I denied that I loved
That old oil leak of mine.
When they said she was bad,
And the worst of all time
I agreed. And I cursed
That old oil leak of mine.
I betrayed her because
She was so unrefined.
And embarrassing too.
That old oil leak of mine.
She amazed the whole world.
As an unabashed crime.
Millions watched as she spewed.
That old oil leak of mine.
Now at last she has gone.
Intervention, divine.
But she’ll never be over.
That old oil leak of mine.
I will search and I’ll drill
Many more wells I’ll find
But I’ll never forget
That old oil leak of mine
OK, it could be that even catastrophic and profoundly damaging relationships leave one feeling sorrowful when they finally end, especially if your role in it was less than noble. But there must be limits.
Dare we say “good riddance” to this one?
Trail Baboon 
Dale, when do you do your writing? your brain must be “on” almost all of the time….
my Brother is elated that the cap seems to be working (he isn’t working on the well, he works for Sea Grant – granting money to study the effects of the “spill”) he isn’t optimistec about the long term effects in the Gulf. (and i heard, i think on WPR, that there is no monitoring of capped wells anywhere. they all might be leaking to some extent)
but today, i am not worrying about oil spills. today about 7 of us (Goat Ladies Club of NE MN and N WI) are going to Green Pastures Dairy in Atkinson and the cheesemaker will teach us how to make a Goat Ladies’ Gouda using our Girls’ milk! we are beyond excited. Green Pastures makes many types of wonderful cheeses from their beautiful cows’ milk – and they have a little cafe’ open for yummy sandwiches made with their cheeses.
have a great weekend, All
see you monday
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Just when I thought I knew what this day would be about, the unexpected creation of “Goat Ladies Gouda” drops into view. Have a wonderful time at Green Pastures, Barb, and mark the calendar. How often do we remember the exact day when we learned something significant?
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Goat Ladies’ Gouda sounds even better than the yummy smoked gouda that I can get at the farmer’s market. Mmmm.
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My Dearest Oil:
I fear you will never really depart my life. I have become so very dependent on you that even when you are gone, the shadow remains. So what am I to do with out you? I know that for years I will see the mementos that remain behind — the pictures of oil-soaked animals, the scarring residue, the absence of birds who used to be. Then there will be the hulks of automobiles lurking long after we adapt to transportation based on another kind of energy. Will I have useless cars in my garage that were left behind? Will they become the lifeless dried flowers of our romance? And that new energy will leave your industry a helpless cuckold before your influence wanes and we all move on. Even then the plastic bags will be left behind to remind me…evermore.
Lovingly, helplessly and without you dear.
J
(Rise and Shine she sobbed)
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Jacque, you have truly plumbed the depths of despair with this one. And you remind me that our oil dependence is really a case of co-dependence. After all, what in the world will oil do without us?
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Rustle of kleenex, sniff, gulp.
Thanks Dale. I’ll be OK. Really.
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Makes me wonder what a Tammy Wynette ode to oil would sound like (or perhaps Tammy Wynette singing the role of oil to a car):
You walked out last Friday
Left me here with your old Cadillac
Now I’m lost and forlorn
And wishin that you would come back
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Stand by Your Oilman….
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Wow Dale, how DO you do it.
True enough, we do seem to end all sorts of relationships, no matter how seemingly different, in the same way.
Good riddance might seem a little bitter, so I’ll just do what I do whenever something (relationship, job, crisis) is over-walk away and not look back. When the memory surfaces, shake my head and feel glad I am out of that.
One of my great aunts went so far as to not only destroy pictures of an ex, but also got rid of any associated framing, breaking them down into little pieces-so they would fit in the trash better, we were told.
I sometimes wonder if all our trouble with oil isn’t just revenge being enacted on us for disturbing the peacefully resting souls of all the little critters, who gave their all to make petroleum.
barb-the s&h returned from camp last night. I think he had a great time, but the prospect of now just being at boring old home with boring old mom is just depressing. I think we had better get that hammock soon! Hope the gouda goes well!
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The Oil Spill Incident makes me very concerned about our readiness for the upcoming Asteroid Incident.
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Flaming asteroid crashing into a huge oil slick and igniting it–now there’s a movie. “The Gulf Engulfed.” Starring all the former couples with their various new partners just to give it flare.
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Oh crudest of Crudes, I fear it will be years until we manage to divorce ourselves from your slick, black, oily appeal. We not only rely on you, dinosaur juice, but love all that you provide for us. Our culture is far too engrossed with you for yet another black mark on our American shores to dissuade us. I won’t even mention how freely you flow over the lands of other, less important places. Alas, it is with much melancholy that I am unable to bid you the adieu you so richly deserve. Instead, I’ll just wait for the next time you or your brother ‘coal-mine-explosion’ decides you’re lonely and in need of attention. I’m sure, when the time comes, you won’t hesitate to remind us of your thick, energy-rich presence, and how much the shape of our world owes itself to you.
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Welcome back VG! How crudely you compose your good-bye.
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Thanks for this ode, VG.
I had forgotten about the subtle allure of Coal Mine Explosion.
But if it’s passion you’re looking for, there’s nothing quite as hot as Nuclear Plant Meltdown!
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We survived the storms, only got some brief high winds, a thing to remember at church in St, Peter today. Hope all of you survived too.
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All is well if a bit messy here below the cliffs of St Paul. Looks like the worst of it was to the North, but I am think not as far north as goat paradise.
Joanne?
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correct, Catherine – we got rumbles, rain but no damaging winds. i drove a friend to Hinckley, and it was pretty stormy on that drive – about 5:30 or 6 pm, i think. but as i drove north again, it subsided. i heard Brainerd/Lakes area got hit pretty bad – and also tornado touchdowns in Rogers and Forest Lake?
only result we had was a toad in the Girls’ pen this morning. he was accompanied out to his usual habitat. the Girls’ don’t like herps or reptiles. but the state rodent seems to be welcomed.
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Here in the Western Twin Cities we had a stunning lightening and thunder show that left the poor dog shaking. Later that was followed by about 1″ of rain, 3/4 of which arrived in about 90 minutes. Little wind and no destruction.
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Tornadoes in Brainerd? I’ve lived in Minnesota more or less continuously since 1960. There is nothing that says “summer in Minnesota” more than storm alerts and meteorologists interrupting evening TV programming to whack maps with pointers and describe the mayhem that might be approaching. But I can’t get used to the change. All the counties blinking in colors indicating they were in peril used to be south and west of the Twin Cities. Now summer’s violent weather is free to roam the whole state. Don’t tell me Global Warming is a myth!
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We were about 10 minutes from home after being at a nephew’s birthday party in Burnsville when the worst of it hit. Dark skies, buckets of water pouring sideways, lightning and fierce winds. Jim was driving about 20 mph along hiway 10 just barely keeping the white line in sight. We were finally able to pull into a gas station (like many other folks) to wait it out for a few more minutes. It cleared quickly and we were on our way home. No damage, no problems here.
Just got home from bringing my youngest special needs son to camp. Lucas will be at Camp Friendship all week. They are awesome and he will have a lot of fun.
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oils lament
i don’t want to spoil the beaches so i’ll go
though i hate that my residue will show
if i could get my way
i’d come again some other day
but i can’t so i’ll cry instead
i’ve got every reason on earth to be mad
i just lost the only eruption i’ve ever had
well i spewed out for so long
the habitat will be oh so gone
but i’m capped
so i’ll cry instead.
don’t want to leak when theres people there
don’t want to ooze when they start to stare
i want to sit on the ocean floor
beyond 5000 ft in the earths core
i’m feeling really embarrassed and truly truly sad
cause i just lost the golden ticket that i had
w had given me free reign
and know i know i’m gonna feel some pain
can’t spew so i’ll cry instead
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