Or why the Halliburton Loop Hole is a terrible thing.

I have been working on a new poem called Halli Loop Hole that is related to the current drilling process for natural gas called Hydraulic Fracturing. There has been somewhat of an increase in discussion on the environmental issues that go along with this type of drilling with documentaries such as Gasland as well as the commission of a new two year EPA study.

The Halli Loop Hole

No, This isn’t new
It happens every day
As wells grow in numbers,
Mother Earth is shaking
Beneath our feet.
FRAC JOB:
Hydraulic fracturing
We inject chemicals into her veins
And then we don’t listen
As she tremors in pain.
She is trying to tell us something.

Leakoff permeates into her membrane,
Out her pores, and into our bodies
We drink methane and breath benzene
Ignite our sinks
Explode our water wells
A light show we didn’t ask for
No clean water, no clean air
Exempt, The Halliburton Loop Hole.
Pockets of oil and gas converted to
Dollar signs but we can’t see the signs.
Earlobes crammed with cash so we can’t
Hear the cry for help.
She is trying to tell us something.

If we take those millions, better yet
Billions, and convert them into
More useful atoms,
Surely we can run our cars on
Words and phrases and
Heat our homes with
Love and closeness.
She is trying to tell us something.

A scientist said it’s the
Energy equivalent of a
Gallon of milk falling from a
Kitchen counter
So small, so inconsequential
But try 95,000 gallons of milk-
One for each producing well
In Texas alone-
Falling from kitchen counters,
Falling over fault lines
But no one takes the blame and
She’s crying over spilled milk.

We call it natural gas but
Yet there is something unnatural
About Fracturing her soil to
Take a part of her soul.
The west, the beautiful
Rolling plains and
Rocky mountains
Flawed and Fractured.

She is trying to tell us something.