It seemed like such a good idea. Every Tom, Dick, and Michael

Would offer cash for scrap metal. That way, we could recycle

The metals we've ripped from Mother Earth.  Then we'll have reused

Products of past industry, but what has evolved has us confused.

Instead of creatively reusing our resources to the max

We've left ourselves wide open to nefarious scavenging attacks.

The creativity we'd hope to tap dismantles hydrants, then leaves

Why? These fire plugs have innards of valuable bronze sleeves.

We considered beverage cans to be the bounty, to be our object.

Never expected that dwelling units would end up being wrecked,

Whose water pipes are disappearing, old ones, not the newer plastic,

'Cause the copper of which they are made for recycling is fantastic.

Fencing of stolen goods was an understood criminal part, thence

One suspected it would continue. Instead, they’ve stolen the fence

Because it's made of aluminum and that makes a recycler smile,

So now our fencing's disappearing. Not by the foot, by the mile.

To shed upon this problem a little wisdom and some insight

 Would be a good deal easier, if we still possessed some light.

But that light, too, has disappeared and with it went its pole,

Some thieves walked away with it. Where it stood is now a hole!

We'll have to reinforce our laws, increase police power and then

Turn ‘em loose on "recyclers". Innundate them with blue men…

But this remedy might not succeed and effectively come a cropper

Via a legal self redemption. After all, they’re made of copper!

 Copyright © 2012 by Frank Koerner