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| North Broad to City Hall, Philadelphia, Public Domain |
Tooling down Broad
to City Hall
colorful cornice
and brick work
sigh in masonry paradise
witnessed by founder William Penn
Murals mingle words
with humans
tooling down Broad
to City Hall
“When I am” speaks
from high school walls
“Packard Motors" says
luxury
Apartments and hospitals hold
hands with highways
and underground
tooling down Broad
to City Hall
Art museum flirts
with newspapers
Walking is faster
than driving
city blocks around
courts and parks
where larger-than-life sculpture is
tooling down Broad
to City Hall
Conceived for Gay's "FormForAll – Quaterns" at dVerse Poets Pub. I took a long walk here today, rather delighted by sights I took no time to see before. I'm scheduling a Center City walk at least once a week in the future. To see more public art in Philadelphia, check out Philadelpha Public Art and the Mural Arts Program.
Posted again for "Poetry Pantry - #127."
nice capture of the city atmosphere...love the apartments and hospitals holding hands with highways and underground and the art museum flirting with newspapers...love how all the different things connect so seamlessly in a city...
ReplyDeleteUmm, you had me at "Philadelphia" My home town (and the "home" that shows up so often in my own poetry). Thanks for taking me back in a way that only a native Philadelphian can really appreciate.
ReplyDeletethank you for taking us on a wonderful walk with you.
ReplyDelete"Apartments and hospitals hold
hands with highways and underground"
great lines in there, love what you've done with the quatern.
walking is faster than driving...yep...and very cool as well...been a while since i was in phillie....last time we went to sesame place as well...lots to see and do up there...saw the liberty bell as well...and ate from a street vendor....mmm....
ReplyDeleteA very sweet poem that uses the form really well. A lot of nice gestures - all the things noted by Claudia - great lines. My one quibble! I am a great believer in punctuation! And you do seem to capitalize at the beginning of sentences but no periods. I bring it up because I really tripped over the Packard motors line as I kept thinking that there was an enjambment where Luxury apartments said packard motors (on ads or something). It took me a few readings to understand that the motors said luxury! This is so minor, but since you are capitalizing, you might consider also using periods or commas. The thing is that sometimes you have run-over lines and sometimes not and it would be much clearer if you had punctuation for the places where readers were supposed to pause, and not where they were supposed to run over. I'm sure others will disagree--. k.
ReplyDeleteGreat refrain choice and a string of nice juxtapositions
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to Philly in such a long time. I lived in Baltimore when my sons were born. We spent a couple of days there once but usually just waved as we went up to New York or Boston with babies in the back seat for a weekend getaway. Fond memories but I need to get back to the NE and spend some time there. The architecture is great. I love this rhyme free quatern - it took me there!
ReplyDeleteI live and work in the city so your words resonate with me ~
ReplyDeleteMingling and holding hands, you make the city come alive ~
Good work on the form too ~
Yes, walking is faster. I especially like the third stanza, Susan.
ReplyDelete..and what a fun adventure you had... i enjoyed reading it... never been in that place so thanks for the ride from here to there... smiles..
ReplyDeleteHaving been only in Pittsburgh this makes me want to go to PHillie...thanks for taking me there in this great quartein..
ReplyDeleteA fun trip through Philly -- thanx. (Home of my in-laws)
ReplyDeleteOh, I am coming a second time (Poetry Pantry) to visit Philly! Nice the second time too.
ReplyDeleteHiya Susan,
ReplyDeleteThat's a good plan: walking round your city centre at regular intervals. Wish we had one so handsome nearby.
And so quiet. Now I know what I want for Xmas: all traffic signs stuck on red. All day, so I can j-walk and cycle in wonderful peace.
What beautiful architecture. I love the repeated line "tooling down Broad to City Hall". Way cool form.
ReplyDeleteYou follow form nicely, and you make me yearn for a walk through the streets of Philadelphia. Another for the Bucket List!
ReplyDelete