In the Name of Progress – a poem
In the Name of Progress
by John Hansen © 2014
State of the art,
Groundbreaking
Architecture.
Most expensive
Apartment building
Of its time.
Luxuriously appointed
Modern apartments,
In high demand.
Time passes,
Priorities change,
Technology advances.
People move on,
Upscaling or retiring,
Sea changing.
Apartments fall vacant,
For sale but not selling,
Upkeep expensive.
Bricks and mortar ages,
Maintenance lapses,
Unsightly safety hazard.
“Resume the land,” the council says,
A new shopping centre planned,
More financially viable.
Demolished – Imploded – gone!
Vacant land, but not for long.
Construction begins.
State of the art,
Groundbreaking
Architecture.
Most expensive
Shopping complex
Of its time.
Luxury upmarket stores,
Crowds rush in,
Spend, spend, spend.
Time passes,
Priorities change,
Technology advances.
Customer spending drops,
Demands change,
Internet shopping booms.
Stores fall vacant,
For lease but no takers,
Upkeep expensive.
Bricks and mortar ages,
Maintenance lapses,
Unsightly safety hazard.
“Resume the land,” the council says,
A new apartment building planned,
More financially viable.
Demolished – imploded – gone!
Vacant land, but not for long.
Construction begins.
State of the art,
Groundbreaking
Architecture.
Most expensive
Apartment building
Of its time.
………………..
Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction, and thoroughly enjoying this, especially flash fiction.
I have been fortunate to have two poems made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren.
My services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials.
It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems.
I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.
- The First Word – A Flash Fiction Story - January 18, 2024
- Dawns Song ~ and Twilight Serenade - December 1, 2023
- Weave Me a Story - June 15, 2023
And the progress continues … This is such an insightful look into something “better” in the name of progress. Well done, John. I enjoyed reading and relating to changes.
In the name of progress,good work John.
Am I coining a term if I say Societal Insanity? Good job on this one, John. I am going to link it to my FB page for Freelance Writers. https://www.facebook.com/cam8510/
Chris, If it isn’t already, “Societal Insanity” should be a common term. If you coined it, well done. Thanks for the compliment and for sharing this too.
All things are eventually wiped clean from being, even us. A reminder of how technology and change effect modern lives; it all seems so crazy, so wasted in resources, in cost, just to keep up with expectations. Well penned John
Tony, such blatant waste annoys me. When there are so many suffering and homeless, the money could be better spent. Thanks for reading.