The former RC of East Geelong also visited the Black Rock water reclamation plant recently which motivated David Sykes to write a poem with the assistance of AI of his learnings from the day.
My Journey (A Wasteful Adventure) – with the help of AI
Did you ever stop to wonder
what becomes of me in after the flush?
One moment I’m minding my business,
the next—whoosh—no time to blush.
Down the porcelain waterslide,
around the S‑bend’s graceful curve,
into a 100‑millimetre sewer pipe—
a ride not for the faint of nerve.
I zipped past fittings left and right,
now that I’ve travelled, I know their names:
• Double branch junction F + F
• Yard gully
• Tee
• Y‑piece—oh, the plumbing games.
An inspection shaft flashed daylight—
a fleeting, hopeful sight—
before I plunged back into darkness
on my long and fragrant flight.
Then came the sewer mains,
a crowded, sloshing crowd.
No VIP treatment here—
just swirling, rushing, loud.
Pushed along by newcomers,
I tumbled in the flow,
sloshing, swirling, carried on—
how long? I’ll never know.
Four hours later—finally—
a glimmer up ahead.
Was this salvation? Freedom?
Nope. A giant sieve instead.
There I was, unceremonious,
strained like yesterday’s tea.
My grand adventure ending
in gritty destiny.
Now broken down and processed,
I’ve lost my former form.
But fear not—I'm not wasted—
I’m helping crops be born.
So if you ever wonder
where your flushes go each day…
I’m out there in the paddocks,
in my own recycled way.
