| I wrote this poem for a monolog in my high school theatre class. I drew inspiration from a song by my favorite band Chicago. The song is called "Progress?" and it is from a suite of songs called "Elegy" on the album, "Chicago III." The song is all instrumental with, as the band puts it, "sound effects courtesy of The Industrial Revolution." On April 7, 1999 I read my poem on the air for "Around Noon", a daily program on WCPN (Cleveland Public Radio) for the program's poetry appreciation month. |
|
| There is a meadow filled with beauty, |
| With majestic trees and a quiet brook. |
| Birds and animals dwell together |
| Under a clear, blue sky. |
| In the distance is a noisy train, |
| A rickety car goes by, |
| On the horizon is a dirty factory |
| With smokestacks that pollute the sky. |
| One by one, the trees are cut, |
| And houses built in their place. |
| Now the brook which once flowed clear |
| Reeks with pungent waste. |
| One by one, the buildings rise, |
| Each one clears its space, |
| Until, at last, the meadow is gone |
| And a city is in its place. |
| Now cement replaces grass |
| And the wildlife stays away. |
| Now the sky is filled with smoke, |
| Is it night or day? |
| Over the years the buildings grow |
| Until they touch the clouds. |
| Thousands of people invade the city |
| With cars that are too loud. |
| In this city there is no love, |
| Only emptiness and hate, |
| People killing other people, |
| Who venture out too late. |
| With their missiles and their bombs |
| These people go to war. |
| Do they know who they're killing, |
| Or what they're fighting for? |
| Now the people run about |
| And noisy sirens clash, |
| And all is lost within the instant |
| Of that final flash. |
Back