My biggest pet peeve - in verse

So you smoke,

Whatever.

It’s a free country, right?

You’re in your car

tooling down the road,

inhaling; blowing smoke out your nose.

Down comes the window

and your butt comes flying out.

Sparks sparking,

ashes ashing.

So, it’s your right to smoke.

I’ll grant you that.

But, it’s my right

to not have to worry that the trees next to the road

are going to go up in flames.

It’s my right to think that someday my children

will be able to breathe fresh air.

It's my right to wonder why someone,

who doesn't care that their lungs are covered in soot,

is so concerned that their car will have a cigarette butt in it,

that they have to throw their butt out the window

and litter my streets.

It's your right to smoke.

It's my right to care.

I absolutely hate litter.  I especially, absolutely hate people that are selfish and careless enough to throw cigarette butts out their windows.  How hard it is to use the ashtray that comes in most cars. And, if perchance your car doesn't come equipped with some fancy, schmancy ashtray, I know damn well that there are plastic ashtrays you can buy at Walmart to put in your fancy schmancy car so you DON'T have to throw your freaking lit cigarettes out the window.   Please people - Protect the Earth.  It's the only planet we've got.

Until tomorrow.