I wrote this poem in response to a prompt on the Blog, Mismanaging Perceptions, which can also be found on the following link:
http://www.mismanagingperception.com/what-is-portland-response-1/What is Portland?
What is Portland? A Poem.
Portland is cherry blossoms during a warm snap in February
That brings everyone out of their homes
To revel in what is quickly described as an “unseasonal event”
Even though it happens every year
—–
Portland is a love of place but with a disconnect to now
A desire to occupy the charm of a slower, more intentional time
While finding itself being on the cutting edge
A city of people motivated to make a better future
Although sometimes in image only
——-
Portland is a town built on industry and exploitation
That forgets its past as it becomes a town of “new ideas”
Today, people see the glamour in a city that found its place
By pushing out those who once knew it as home
——–
Portland is long rainy winters and the best summers on the planet
A city of bridges, a city of roses
Of coffee, of beer, of bikes and of farmers markets
It has some of the best public transportation in the country
But, it mostly serves those who need it the least
——–
Portland is and has always been unique, but not always for sale
It’s soul becoming more transparent as it becomes a thing not a place
What makes it beautiful still exists, but only for some
Much of the “livability” disappearing
——
Portland is not a doughnut shop or an image
It is not the businesses that sell us our city back to us
It is not even a movement or a style
——-
Portland is the smell in the air after it rains
And people getting excited about “snow”
It’s the way the sun hangs on the horizon in winter
And it’s people who look each other in the eye when they pass
——-
Portland is a city divided, although you only know that
If you live on the “other” side
Where walking becomes a liability and you feel
That you are somehow forgotten anytime “Portland” is discussed
——-
Portland is beautiful, colorful, and full of life
Portland is my home
