Prairie Yields
by Gary Hardaway
Where I'm from
is hard to love.
It's business friendly
but not very kind.
There isn't land
but real estate.
There isn't work
but productivity.
There's not a city
but a Standard
Metropolitan
Statistical
Area.
The river's not
a river but
a FEMA map
of flooding probabilities.
Levies neatly
wall the hidden,
channeled water.
You'll find little
God but a bunch
of big churches.
You'll find little
Art but some grand
arts facilities.
I'd leave but I've
been taught quite well:
the opportunities away
will never measure
up to home.
Our towers sparkle
with merciless sun.
Pretty searing...
Gary, you are becoming your very own school. Well done.
fav
Thank you, Matt and James for reading this. Chicago may be the city of the big shoulders but Dallas is the city of the big deal.
Sounds like hell to me.
Hard to love but easy to fave. Well done.
Makes me want to start packing...*
Carol, if I just had a more positive outlook, I'm it could be heavenly here.
Thank you, Emily.
JP - I wonder what New Hampshire's like...
Gary, I could never live where you do - but you sure do some swell work there. *
Bitterly brilliant. I like the sparkles from the merciless sun. *
Fine poem. Merciless.
*
MaryAnne, I always think of Tobacco Road when I think about Dallas, my home for a long, long time. I hate it because it's ugly but love it 'cause it's home.
Thank you very much, Beate and Bill.
Love the structure of this. really powerful opening and closing with two lines. The last two lines are particularly effective and intense and continue to ring in my ears long after the last chord has been struck. Quite a served skewering of corporate buzzwords and bullshit! *
Thanks, Michael. I am grateful for your response.
"Business friendly but not very kind." What the place lost in soul, you've found.
Mighty fine poetry, insightful and concise.*
Thanks, Joe and J. Mykell. Thanks very much.
Occupy away. Love this. It sparkles, glitters and sends a ray of light into the eye of the tycoon who doesn't care.
Thank you very much, Fantomas.
Very interesting how simple word choices can change the way one views the world.
Very VERY powerful, sir.
Bravo.
I don’t know where I was when you posted this, burI’ve seen it noe. Big kudos. This is so do true. Thanks.
Thank you, Steve.