Submitted to: Imperfect Prose on Thursday
This week’s prompt: Falling
How sad the demise
of brick and
stone
falling
a noble place
where people went
and stayed
a few hours
weeks
or days
Shelter-inspired ideas
provided work
promoted dreams
yet now
no Thing
remains
not even shadow
Instead I see
busy
nothingness
where people park cars
empty shells
of themselves
on wheels
left for minutes, or hours
not one moment
taken to reflect
once this place
housed their dreams
No affection remains
leaving
no possibility
of garden or weed
settling, seeding earth
no identification with
“This is ours”
this structure of pride,
mortar and stone
momentary home
now
leveled
flat and dry
dead cement
tarred black
white-lined, divided
inglorious
storyless
unnoticed space
no longer structure
just a place
to park
and
walk away
Oooooo, good stuff.
I take it you’re not refering to the asphalt.
Thanks for reading.
We had a similar thing happen in our neighborhood just a few months ago. Beautiful old homes torn down to replaced by asphalt. It hurts.
So sorry to hear, Talon. What a shame.
oh, this is gorgeous and sad, friend. this: no Thing
remains
not even shadow
really captures it. the way you put heart into a building… the way you make me ache for an abandoned place; brilliant. i’m so glad you linked up. xo
Thank you. A friend’s sad notice about the demolition of a building in her town inspired this piece. Her lament reminded me of how awful I felt after I left home and heard that one of the oldest historical houses in my New England town was torn down to create a parking lot. It felt like a sacreligious rape. Many years later I returned to the town and I realised afterwards, how sad that I returned home and walked the town of my childhood as if the old building had never been there; I didn’t even see the parking lot (I mean who looks for them unless trying to use them?) nor did I notice the space that the missing place left behind. No ground zero was marked for me to grieve. So I wrote this in memory of two noble old buildings. I love writing for your prompts and visiting your blog – it inspires me. You and the other writers open my eyes, ears and mind to so many delightful images, thoughts and feelings.
so sad…the memeories woped away just to make spaces for cars to park…ugh.
My next one will not be sad. Mad, glad or possibly bad – but not sad.
I have seen Banglows getting demolished by owners themselves to create highirise apartment buildings or Malls all for commercial consideration.. A banglow will give shelter to one family..a highrise to about 20 or 40 depending on the height.. and that is real and here to continue..
My worry is that some where far ahead may be thousands of years later it should not happen that aliens from other planets look at earth and feel the same way..But then we can be hopeful…and why not..
Thanks for your visit to may page..loved your comments.. very inspiring..let us continue to practise happpiness.
Somehow I can’t feel as bad about highrises that house people, as I do about car parks. But you are right, our population grows unchecked on earth, so demolitions become inevitable. Happy builders!!
Oh wow. I wasn’t expecting that ending. It had an impact, that’s for sure. Nice work.
Seems those that make the decisions, make them with no regard to heritage, or peoples sensibilities.
This piece gave me a sense of disconnection, sadness at the changing of what was better, to what is worse
Eaton.
Thanks for your feedback, Eaton. Disconnection – perfect word to describe this situation and the feelings involved. In a world of exploding population, there will probably be less regard to heritage. As far as people’s sensibilities goes… it takes all kinds – some of us are offended, others say, hey – we need more parking lots. Town planners listen to shop keepers and businesses who pay the largest proportion of town taxes. Without parking, they lose customers. I guess we all have to make way for progress. Me included.
Such a sad tale, isn’t it?? How soon do we forget where we came from, our roots, our very base of existence! I think this poem is very evocative of such feelings of nostalgia (and needless to mention, remorse and guilt)…
In the name of living in a fast paced world, we just conveniently choose to “forget” all the relevant stuff too.. (sigh)
Wonderfully expressed, Cindy… and the images perfectly complement your intense words…
Kudos, my friend!!
Thanks Kavita Those images – it was really hard to find the right ones – after all my moaning about progress, you’d never think how hard it is to find the right parking lot!!
Excellent
Thank you! I like your comment about words “painting the perfect beat” For me, words are another form of music.
“We don’t have clear cuts here….just cities and towns” Is a line from a poem on which I am working. It came to mind as I was reading both this tragically lovely piece (and the comments that follow it). Great poem Cindy! Sue
Thanks, Sue. Sometimes I think we humans are like the humus between leaves, rotting everything we touch – except that humus leaves soil in its wake, and we, plastic scraps and nuclear waste. Yet we are capable of such love, compassion and courage. What a conundrum we make.
This kind of thing happens too often.
Well stated in you poem
Thank you, bluesy rocker. Maybe you can sing about it in your next video. Thanks for visiting my site. I love your archetype-sub personalities. Nice touch!
Such a strong message portrayed here and such true words. It’s so sad when places (or people) are no longer remembered for what (or who) they were. This to me goes hand in hand with your poem about gratitude and taking time out in order to appreciate, because we never really know when it will be gone.
Great poem – thanks! xx