Saturday, April 2, 2011

Downtown

As a child, heading into The City meant shiny shoes and dress clothes
  Gazing at buildings from car windows as we drove down traffic laden streets, 
the excitement was tangible, Country mouse safe in her fishbowled car
 looking up at the city, gawking at towering windows 
that reach up into the sky.   
There is elation still as I walk the streets downtown 
staring up at buildings that angle up into the skies, 
quadrangles and triangles of brilliant blue  
  the morning is brisk and the crowds have disappeared through glass doors,
up elevators where,
in the bustle of the day's busyness, 
They Forget     
 Cerulean skies that seem to be just within reach 
  The streets, teeming with life, 
with those who are not so fortunate
who carry their life in a bag that rolls along the street for humanity to gawk at
 Who wear misfortune with the same casualness that some don their day's wardrobe
 the spectrum of the rainbow that splatters the walkways 
  "art" that amuses amidst the stone cold hardness of the streets
 peddlers who make their daily bread one sausage at a time     
and the bus/train drivers who keep the urbanites connected with home
It's all here in Downtown...
In the immortal words... (umm, okay maybe not so immortal) of Petula Clark 
When you're alone
And life is making you lonely,
You can always go downtown
When you've got worries,
All the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know, downtown

9 comments:

  1. I have similar memories from my childhood although the Finnish cities back then were hardly big enough to call cities -- but nevertheless, the closest big town was a lot more exciting than my boring small hometown.

    This post also made me miss my favorite city in the world: New York.

    Nice pictures.

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  2. Hello, Danette. I don't get to blog as often as I would like. So, as I opened blogger this morning and began to look for something interesting to check out, I found your's first.
    I don't know if the rest will be of any interest, but your's sure was!
    Cool photos, nice words and a great classic tune.
    Well done! Have a great weekend,

    -Jimmy

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  3. Everything looks so blue and clean and warm! Love that old Petula Clark song too...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello! Lovely pics and I especially adore that cow!

    Sounds like you had some great weather you side of the pond. Was lovely here too, I went shopping - big time! ;-)

    *clinks glass* Have a wonderful evening D!

    Tx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Zella: I didn't live in Denver then, we lived close by Tulsa which looks dinky to me now :) but the feelings were the same.

    Jimmy: Thanks for dropping by and thanks for the compliment. I'm always happy when my blog is enjoyed!

    Ladyfi: Downtown Denver is amazingly clean. The city workers clearly do a great job! It wasn't particularly warm that day but it's been pretty nice the last week or so.

    Talei: Sounds like you are having a fun weekend and glad the weather is lovely there! Now where is that drinks trolley? Time for champagne!

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  6. I saw Denver twice, in the early Fifties. That was SO long ago. But I love the city/cities. These photographs are stunning. My daughter has three Petula Clark albums; we both love her. I heard her song Downtown decades ago, and still remember the words. I find myself humming it sometimes.

    Wonderful post!
    Ann Best, Long Journey Home

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  7. Ann: Thanks for dropping by and for the kind words! Petula Clark has a style that singers have forgotten today.

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  8. There's so much energy and life in your photos! Love! And thanks for the Petula Clark song--haven't hummed that in ages and now it's in my head. :-)

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  9. I liked this post, because it reminded me of being a little kid. I felt the wonder and the excitement and saw it all passing by as though I was a little girl driving past in a car. Great post and great pictures!

    <3 Gina Blechman

    ReplyDelete

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