Old town, maybe Germans settled, followed by the English, out on windswept prairies, sitting on those hills, with deep ravines on sides of the road. Sunflowers smile at you in the summer, fire grass in the fall and winter. Farms dotted the countryside once only about a mile on the lines.
The nearest town, a center for the farmers, a gathering of co-ops and thoughts swirling around improvement. The town with its eventual fast food mom n pops, the fifties hangout west of town on a small hill with its cheesy bacon heart attack served with cholesterol creamy drinks, t.v. a new thing for the neighbors to hang around, a vibrant family concert after the shows, a town of dreams.
A young girl in her A&W hat and shorts at Montoya's A&W on the southwest part of town on the highway with ambitions swirling in her, desires to maybe move away at least for a bit. She still had Almena dreams for her Kansas town.
She would go away but always return for the Almena Days, where some girls weren't married for a day. She wasn't the sort. A time to see friends.
As the town aged, the train whistle no longer impinged on the ears. The fire took the burger bar west of town. Montoya's died from retirement. The grocery store moved away, actually disappeared ghosting the town. The gas ran out and no doctors replaced the local legend. A living ghost town of people still gripped by hope.
Almena dreams.
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Author:
JDB (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: September 11th, 2024 06:56
- Comment from author about the poem: Almena, Kansas is where my wife grew up. At one time, it was a vibrant city. However, its beaten path passed away and it lost half its population which is the case for so many western Kansas towns. New routes were forged, and it became isolated. Most of the farms disappeared into consolidated enterprises, Most of the farming population is gone and the young people move away.
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Comments3
I don't understand all of the local references, to be quite honest, however, I do feel the tragedy It places upon folks who are caught up in the disruption caused by the decline of what I would describe as an outback town.
You understand enough to know what is going on. Thank you for reading.
This is a beauty, so wonderfully detailed with a mounting, yet subtle dread, richly poignant to effect and delightfully rendered. Thank you very much for sharing.
And thank you for your insightful comments.
Excellent write
Thank you,
You're welcome
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