My Town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town
In my little town
“My Little Town” by Paul Simon
My Town
I walk the streets of my hometown,
the prodigal son returned for a visit.
I wanted to see the old place after
forty years away.
My first stop is the place where
the death spiral began.
The old brick building that housed
Johnson’s lingerie factory long abandoned.
Countless generations had worked there
and jobs were plentiful and easy to get..
But government regulations, outrageous union
demands and cheaper labor overseas
caused its demise.
I walked up Main Street, which was a
bustling market place when I was a child.
Now, all that remained were CBD joints
and tattoo parlors and a coffee shop.
First the pharmacy closed, then
Mason’s Department store, followed
in quick succession by a host of
other long-time establishments
as the locals began the exodus
to a new land of milk and honey.
The few reaming locals looked
like ghosts wandering in a lost world.
I’m ready to move on as there is
nothing left but the dead and dying
back in my little town.
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