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| Beauty . . . |
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| . . . beast |
Not so many as a surfeit or
Plethora this section of the U.S.
Northwest is rife with inlets
(Fjords), lakes, and islands
Offering an abundance of
Waterfront (and waterview)
Property far more so than the
Relatively straight lakeshore
Of my former digs, Cleveland,
OH. Whether that drives down
The cost of the always-pricier
“Land with Water View” more
So than could be asked back
East is debatable. The ratio of
Beach-hungry in Cleveland is,
I’d guess, lower than those
Who move here hoping for a
Wilderness experience before
Population, migration, and
Commercial growth erase its
Primeval allure. I visited Seattle
For an adoption conference one
Late August in the ’70s. Skies
Were an unblemished blue four
Days in a row. The day we left the
Sky had turned concrete-block
Gray. The morning fog became
Mist which grew to droplets
And we departed in a downpour.
Residents had told us, “Don’t tell
Outsiders we have these good days.
They’ll come trample us underfoot."
Who would blame Seattleites
For protecting their turf? Who
would share paradise with packs
Of noisy litterers? The Bay area
Is overrun with immigrants, the
Brightest of the nerds driving
Rents to the stratosphere. The
Rain here has kept up for three
Days, and though slivers of
Blue can be seen at the limits
Of the cloud layers, the sky
Overhead has been uniformly
Gloomy. It’s hard to tell when
The rain’s stopped because the
Second rain—dropping from
The trees can—go on for days
Unless some great Maytag of
A wind dries the all-day dew.
From my slight travels the local
Economy still depends on farms
And fishes, neither of which can
Support extraordinary growth
So residents needn’t fear being
Inundated more by people than
H20. Raincoats, umbrellas, and
Tanning booths share a steady
Market with SAD lamps (seasonal
Affective disorder); not much need
For sunglasses. My son tells me
Summer helps: it runs from
July 5th to Labor Day.
c. J.S.Manista, 2016
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