The Prodigal Parents

I hope to be forgiven by my grandchildren for all the useless garbage

that the people of my generation will have dumped upon them.

Plop!

Instead of taking care of the planet we inherited,

and leaving it as we found it to those who will follow,

we blew it in an orgy of greed.

Whshhh!

We burned the oil, we poisoned the air, we polluted the water,

we tore up the earth, and killed what lived on it.

KSHH!

So here's to the children, and the grandchildren—here they come!—

the ones who will clean up the mess left by their parents,

who squandered their inheritance, and stank up the planet!

PFFT!

But I hope the children will be generous!

I hope they will forgive their parents!

WHHH!

And when the party is over, and the last ashtray has been emptied,

and the garbage has been recycled, I hope they will say:

"Thank you, Granddad, thank you, for giving us a reason to live!"