Contamination Poem by Joan Marques

As the dirty water seeps
From the outdoor 'room of ease, '
Forming a fusty puddle, in collaboration
With dry leaves, rotting olives,
And multiple legions of bacteria;
Unwary children, varying from one to eight,
Plant their bare little feet in the soaking clutter
And enjoy the sensation of sludge between their toes
Unaware of the danger they are exposed to
Or the upcoming hysteria
Of mothers who will, once again, witness
The contagion of yet another little one
Slowly slipping out of their feeble hands
In a detrimental environment:
The quintessence of archaic deliria
While, in other parts of the same world,
Shoes, clothes, indoor sanitation and food
Are among the normalcies of daily life
And not - as in their universe -
Part of an unattainable set of criteria.