a poem for no reason

by jhon baker

the old camera shop

I’ll never forget the furling flags
above fire escapes
outside the walk-ups
     of downtown Chicago.

it was on S. Wabash near the 623
     S. Wabash Columbia College building.
an old camera shop
across the street,

now gone, replaced by a warehouse liquors.
and other signs of
progress washing over
     my city, —

KFC
Subway
Pizza Hut
Dunkin Donuts
Baskin Robbins
open 24 hours
and a Tamarind
for the hip in the South Loop

but I’ll never forget the flags, furling,
above fire escapes 
outside the walk-ups
     of downtown Chicago.

– Hoc Scripsi

4 Comments to “a poem for no reason”

  1. With all the chain stores and franchises now, one city looks much like the next. It was great when every place had it's own identity.

  2. I went back to my hometown a few yrs back and it was depressing..none of my childhood haunts were around. It was like I imagined them all.. Very sad…

    Like thi one, for no particular reason, just do!!

  3. I miss those times too…

  4. enjoyed this, you catch the difference in times very well.

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