The Grass May Not Be Greener, But -
Here in Chicago, Illinois the landscape is flat
No hill or vale to break the monotony
A concrete jungle downtown, surrounded by highway
Leading to endless cornfields south of the metropolis
The suburbs and exurbs' main drags all eerily familiar
McDonalds, Starbucks, Walmarts, Athleticos
Bank of Americas, Chase Manhattans, CVS' and Marianos
Walgreens, 31 Flavors, Pizza Huts, BP's and Shells...
Would Woody Guthrie still sing 'This Land is My Land'
Could he, if he viewed Chicago firsthand...
Yet here in Chicago we have a Lake Michigan
which stops tornadoes in their tracks
turning them into harmless water spouts
and whose waters change hues with the wind's every move
Here in Chicago we don't worry about hurricanes or typhoons
Although we're a hotspot for displaced raccoons and financial tycoons
Here you can buy a brick house in a nice neighborhood for under half a million
Unlike Manhattan and San Francisco, where a tiny condo costs a zillion
Sure, we've got a crime problem, and it gets a little worse each year
But there's still many a corner tavern that'll cook you a meal with that beer
All I know is that I've lived here forever, and though I lock my door at night
Only once a year, on Halloween, does my neck-of-the-woods give me a fright
Copyright © Gershon Wolf | Year Posted 2021
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment