Description: i made this drive last night and was struck by the site of the cityscape as i came back into town. i remember thinking it was like the skyline in the old spiderman comics i used to read when i was a kid. this morning when i woke up at 6:30, this poem was writing itself in my head.
west 130th to 71 south away from parma
past west 150th toward columbus
damn
exit at brook park u-turn to 71 north
back to downtown cleveland
past buildings with windows lit against the
gathering darkness
at 70+ mph i look away from the road to
take in the cityscape flashing past
on the right
king kong on the terminal tower
no that was a late nite horror movie
on channel 8 when i was ten
best location in the nation
each one of those lit windows is a life
71 south to east 9th downtown
rush hour traffic
lights with cameras to catch you
when you go thru
take exit to 77 south bypassing the city
nightly traffic jam at rockside and the hell of trucks
in the outer darkness of the turnpike.
I hope you get some responses on this. It captures so well the mood of the driving as well as the sights and sounds and the almost magical enchantment of the city with its lighted buildings, twists and turns of the road, plus that wonderful flashback to King Kong! Thoroughly enjoyed this.
I really like this poem. Personally, though, reading the different streets is like reading a stranger's shopping list. :-/ but I see why it was necessary- the doldrums of driving, being on autopilot, mechanically noting street signs. best location in the nation each one of those lit windows is a life Ok... I think the best location in the nation sounds like a slogan, so what if you put it in quotes? just an idea. or is it not a city tourism slogan? Also I really like the line about the windows. It's true, and it's astounding, and it perfectly encapsulates city life. Good job!
This is a nice poem. I like the idea here as well as the tidbits of humor that you have added here and there. This poem is something I think most of us can relate to. The city, the highway, the traffic jams, moments of stress as you realize you have missed your exit, hee hee! Even the bit about king kong really helped give this one some additional character as you tie in ones imagination as well. I like how you identify each light seen as a sort of representative of life. I enjoyed reading this poem. Very good job with this. Take care.
Submission Name: DRIVING DOWNTOWN
