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Eutrophication of Golden Pond

February 28th, 1968 marked the date
Boyce Brandon Harris 
(my octogenarian widower father) 
purchased a small tract of land
Pooh would Winnie
  
constituting shadowed sliver 
once hailing, hallmarking, harkening, 
glorious vast "Glen Elm" estate,
which circa 1910 encompassed
 
a hundred plus acres of woodland
(including a pond frequented 
by migrating Canadian Geese)
eventually zoned for commercial,
  
industrial, and residential development
(all in the name of productive land use)
particularly put into motion 
courtesy Donald J. Neilson,

who transformed expansive woodland
rivaling shutterfly 
sprouting like mushrooms towed stools
booming explosively
 
after ample precipitation 
little houses on the hillside
little houses made of  ticky tacky...
popped up overnight 

transforming landscape
displacing flora and fauna with vinyl city
(minus spit of property papa bought)
manicured bumped uglies with wild wisp

reduced pristine niche leftover jot haven
squawking disoriented geese instincts
thwarted, where drained wetlands
a Arcadian past suburbanization

overlaying (palimpsest like) rural setting
trademark bucolic print Currier And Ives  
stock in trade signature prints
landscape sparse human population
  
country aire sprinkled with family farms
fresh dairy, produce, vegetables 
butchered animals free ranging 
without synthetic injections

nostalgia faintly recreated here
Highland Manor Apartments
Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
a slip of country revered

against a Paul Ling urbanization
nothing appears familiar
retracing roadways now major highways
frequent moments breeds alienation 
familiar ground confusing, frightening, and perplexing.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2018




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Book: Reflection on the Important Things