.
In America 1980
There are many Lost Zones sad abandoned towns
Places left behind
By the movements of commerce
One of these is Boone
A hamlet where, out among
The long rattlesnake plains
Between the Federal Train Test Center
And 400 miles of straight nothing
One is suspended out of time
And there is nothing whatsoever left to do
Except stand around that little park in
The center of town
Actually just a large patch of burnt-out grass
Where the place of honor
Usually occupied in American towns
By a statue commemorating the local war dead
Is instead taken up by a vintage Nike missile
Gay souvenir of the Days of Ike
When things were still alive in Boone
The wind blows very hard around the tall white missile
Funneling up and down the open streets of tarpaper
Shacks and broken-down mobile homes. It leans a little. It may
Blow over if the wind comes on too hard
But that’s no tragedy
Nothing’s no tragedy in Boone –-
In fact, nothing’s no nothing.
High plains (Northern Morgan County, Colorado): photo by Epimethius, 2007
Nike Zeus missile launch, 1957 (US Army)
A click on the top image will reveal just how wide this stretch of "wide wilderness" (or "pure nothing" as the poem calls it) really is.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Boone. I lived there before that missle was put there. I lived in the trailer park behind it. I attended a little baptist church, right down the road from it. I miss thos days.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteWell, what can I say. I thought your little town had plenty of character.