It sits abandoned in
a city that abandons
treasures, including its people.
It was built in splendor and beauty
only to descend to decay and ruin.
Once vibrant and bustling,
now vacant and lost.
The sadness permeates
the surroundings and premises.
The hopelessness seeps into surroundings
The people absorb the feelings
and reflect them like a broken mirror.
The building sits with lost pride in itself;
so do the people of the once mighty city.
They doubt, they fear, they are in pain.
Decay begets decay and fear multiplies itself.
The violence of the lack of self-worth
takes the final toll on both people and city.
The people see themselves quite clearly
in the empty shell of a decayed train station.
We cry out, as though we are echoing the structure:
Do not let me die, do not let us rot.
Most of all we cry: Do not abandon us;
Do not sell us out to those who do not care.
We are here, we are alive, we are Detroit.
©2012 Cherie R. Boeneman
No comments:
Post a Comment