Poetry: "Phosphor Degradation"

Phosphor Degradation

Megan Yarusso, Class of 2025

Look, and feel pity

for the streetlamps on low-power,

misrepresented as they are by

cautious streaks of rainwater

dribbling from the car windshields and

crashing to the pavement

Who can help the pull of nostalgia

when the night light of old

was buttery and warm?

A defect is spreading

like a virus, the Colosseum

steps gone blue in their disuse

A wire was crossed when

the lightbulb was in its prime, and

now our streetlights are purpling

like a bruise, for a time,

Then going wine-dark in 

the dead of the night

On our street,

A neighbor has taken to hanging

oil lamps from the beaks

of the dried-up beacons, and

no one has called the cops,

or started throwing rocks, or seems to

care much at all anymore, whatever casts a

shadow over the road

Judge's Notes:

“Three cheers for a poem that blends environmental science with dystopian blues. Phosphor degradation refers to the deterioration of phosphorescent materials over time that leads to reduced brightness and efficiency in light-emitting devices and is caused by factors such as heat,

moisture, and exposure to UV light (Thank you, Google AI.). In three stanzas, the poet transports the reader with precise, elegant diction into an ever-darkening world. I think we have a new voice to listen to in the world of eco-poetry.”