Poetry

Any of you who are vaguely familiar with Portland will recognize many of these SE streets. Even more amazing is the fact that they are in order going south from BURNSIDE. Keep in mind, this is abstract poetry, and there are many stories next to each other with little or no link. Enjoy...

Mr. ANKENY had four trees,

An ASH, PINE, and OAK made up three.

STARK raving mad WASHINGTON

Cut down the ALDER tree.

MORRISON climbed the BELMONT,

To reach the YAM HILL.

There were TAYLOR's SALMON swimmin'

All against their will.

Further up the water MAIN,

MADISON looked out;

Just beyond the HAWTHORNE tree

He found another route.

"CLAY to MARKET, from the MILL"

STEPHEN'S at the plant,

While HARRISON and LINCOLN,

Fight it out with GRANT.

SHERMAN and CARUTHERS

Stand each side the line,

In a Civil War decision,

The DIVISION is divine.

WINDSOR's only half awake,

When IVON brings the news,

"CLINTON won the race again,

Republicans sing the blues."

Haggard TAGGART took off WOODWARD,

Towards the BROOKLYN bridge.

There he saw Miss. TIBBETTS, (KELLY)

Standing on a ridge.

"Quick, catch FRANKLIN, he took PERSHING,

Half my flesh and bone!"

Herr HAIG saw him on the RHINE,

LAFAYETTE on the RHONE.

Beside a BUSH, FRANCIS jumped out,

The boy was front and CENTER.

Beside a GLADSTONE (happy rock)

In BOISE, was his mentor.

CORA walked into the MALL,

The REYNOLDS fencing store.

"I need a HOL-GATE for my PARDEE,

As LONG as England's shore."

SCHILLER saw a German thriller,

Ich LIEBE Mein Frankenstein

RAYMOND shot his COLT at MITCHELL,

A STEELE plate saved his hide.

INSLEY, outsley, HAROLD went,

To ELLIS island's queen.

There he walked into the water,

On REED WAY to be seen.

RAMONA met a bleached white KNIGHT,

At the WOODSTOCK picture show.

He was from the YUKON,

And his horse was pale as snow.

MARTIN crossed a paybridge,

At CARLTON's appeal.

The kiosk guy said "Pay the TOLMAN,

"Or HENRY DUKEs your wheels."

Going airborne, seaborne, CLAYBOURNE,

Ram into the Earth.

In the GLENWOODs vast expanse,

COOPER lost his girth.

The EVERGREEN forbidding scene,

Where the BY-BEE buzzes round.

Further south towards Mormonville,

In RURAL OGDEN town

Joseph Smith takes a KNAPP,

While the HENDERSONs drink tea.

Hattie FLAVEL tries to rip off,

Some famous R&B.

Tyranno-REX, the King-o'saurs,

MALD-EN gored his prey.

LAMBERT Lamb the sheepish lion,

Barely got away.

I BIDWELL to thee oh fearful one,

Down LEXINGTON Av'nue;

New York is such a scary place,

And MILLER time is due.

In NEHALEM, on the coast,

A young seagull takes wing.

Halfway between SPOKANE and TACOMA,

There lies a CRYSTAL SPRINGS.

TENIN-O! the countdown stopped

For UMA-TILL-A ship,

Could be found to replace the one

That HARNEY clums'ly tipped.

"Bobby, your candy, please do SHERRETT!"

Kids at Fort CLATSOP? couldn't bear it.

MARION, his final words,

To LINN who'd leave him never...

"Cremate me into the sea,

But please don't use my WEBBER."

Look for the illustrated paperback version coming sometime to local bookstores.