Concrete Reasons

Another urban write, contemplating city design.

As I stare at trees

who's roots are buried

beneath concrete and brick

I laugh

at the ridiculous practice 

we have of trying to keep

some accent of 'Nature'

about us so that we aren't

completely oblivious

to the fact that

'Nature' exists.

Plotting and potting

trees and flowers

grid-like

throughout the city streets.

A 'Natural' setting indeed!

I smile again...

thinking,

if the forest was

a work of precision

with pathways and mountains

of specific proportions

so that, 

all valleys ran east to west

to allow more sunshine

for the flowers and the grass

and rivers and streams,

ran north to south

appearing like they are

the broken water 

from the wombs 

of mountain Goddesses

spilling at their feet

and running free into the wild.

'wild and free'

Such bizarre visions.

Tree-planter's believe in this vision,

they plant new forests

with each tree

seven feet apart,

line after line.

A handful of pennies 

for a handful of dirt.

Stamped down

again and again...

like an evergreen army

in formation, all together

following the cadence of,

"ch-ching ch-ching".

Where do all the pennies go?

They become concrete reasons

for 

'urban forestation'.

Reviews

[Frieda P]

I am reminded of a tree grows in Brooklyn when I read this, as if those single trees sparsely planted amidst tenement houses vaguely resemble nature, I like the imagery you've created here Astro, much food for thought in all your writings...

[Astro]

Well at the least I hope not to be boring, lol. Thanks Frieda, the sparseness of your memory is exactly the picture I was describing.

[Frieda P]

Boring? Pfft, never Mon amie. ;-)

[Astro]

Well that's a relief. :D

[KaylasPoetryBook]

Wow great imagery! I can say that this actually made me think about something Ive never even thought of before. Especially living in the city for so long I have never even thought to question my surroundings this way. Man made nature. Made me think of the idea of women wearing "Natural-looking makeup" lol. This was super insightful. Great job (:

[Astro]

Thanks Kayla, I was just reacting to the moment when I wrote this one. Nighttime in the city beneath the fluorescence and within the humm always produces something interesting for me.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

'urban forestation' -- I like this idea, and this image.

I can clearly see the city in this one...reminds me of LA in a lot of ways. All concrete jungle, but a tree, bush or patch of grass thrown in haphazardly here and there to make it seem a little less like some industrial graveyard and a little more like the world that it was built upon; the world as it was so many years ago. I wonder what it would be like to stand in my front yard and if only for a moment glimpse the exact spot 100 or even 200 years ago?

[Astro]

Google the archives, lol. This thought is a frequent one that I get when I'm out on the city streets. Even here in the North American rain forest of Vancouver. Having been a tree planter and seeing deforestation first hand by logging and pine beetle, I wonder if one day the Earth will just be industrial looking with trees like animals in a zoo, trapped. It's understandable that we crave being near nature, everyone knows the positive effects of being in a natural setting, but it's sad how we try and compensate. Some would say hypocritical. Thanks for the thoughtful review. :). Ramble ramble