Urban Renewal (DRAFT)

The old buildings disappeared,

for want of something new,

something modern.

Throwing away the old brick and stone,

molded woodwork

and plaster,

yesteryears’ buildings

disappeared.

The race to forget the old ways,

 to shed histories and to begin anew 
            with better technology and materials

was the all-important goal.

Now there is a city, 
best forgotten by the way it looks and feels.

Concrete vaults that house offices,

sprawling empty malls and

cratered            parking               lots.

Gone is the character,

the individuality of the buildings,

only available 
                    in washed out, 
                                  grainy photos 
of which we stare longingly---

for the good old days.

Urban renewal? 

More like urban sepsis.

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PAD Day 23 - History

The Witch’s Spell

 

You would think that a witch, a true witch,

would have been able to save herself.

“Witch Finders” should not have had such power,

no man should. Nor should little girls.

The fact that it was about land, really, and not spirituality made me want to scream.

I don’t know why this made it worse for me.

Maybe because you can’t touch anyone’s spirit,

you can’t change it,

but you can touch and change land.

And it was all about men too, because they wanted it all.

For a group of people who wanted freedom from persecution they really did a turnabout.

Who am I to disparage them?

Today’s society scorns each other as if it were sport.

Doesn’t matter what color, religion, sexual orientation – whatever,

we all get up in each other’s faces,

or better yet each other’s social media – for what?

It’s not for land.

I don’t think it’s for anyone’s spirituality either.

I think they must have been true witches after all,

and they have cursed their tormentor’s children for generations

and will continue to do so.

Their curse?

To let history repeat itself and for us

not to learn the lessons.