The Whiskey Taster’s Flavor Guide

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 © | Year Posted 2021

Poem

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Krutsinger Avatar
October 11, 2021 at 10:24 AM
I truly think he could "Would Woody Guthrie still sing 'This Land is My Land' Could he, if he viewed Chicago firsthand..." and I think he would.
Brewer Avatar
October 10, 2021 at 1:37 PM
Interesting and enlightening. It is good to get data on any scene first hand. Thanks for the viewpoint and the picture, Gershon.
Wolf Avatar
October 10, 2021 at 3:25 PM
Appreciate the thanks, Geoffrey. Joy and Light, Gershon
Leffanta Avatar
October 10, 2021 at 11:52 AM
American marketers blow billions to convince people to see the world (cheapest with Uncle Sam) or buy beauty products, but the face that stands out in a crowd is still the familiar one, and what is more familiar than home? Nice job, Gershon! Aloha!
Wolf Avatar
October 10, 2021 at 3:24 PM
You got it. Home sweet home. Thanks, Rico!! :) gw
Hankins Avatar
October 10, 2021 at 9:59 AM
I'm supposing this is a tribute to Chicago, your hometown, and from what I hear out in the environs, Chicago can use it. Enjoyed your poem immensely, GW. When I stand on the shore looking out over Lake Michigan, I shall remember you.
Wolf Avatar
October 10, 2021 at 3:24 PM
I'll be like the Ghost of Hamlet's Father, end of Act 1: 'Remember me. Remember me.' lol. Thanks, Milt. ~ The Not-so-Great-Dane
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The Whiskey Taster’s Flavor Guide
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace