Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Off the grid

Several Midwestern cities are gridded. How else would we know which direction we're going? Or even where we've come from? I did live in Boston for a couple years. There they speak of streets being old cow paths. The main streets are unlabeled. If you belong there... you know what they are. I grew up on the grid. I am learning to make my own grid, reorienting myself by the sun.


I grew up
On the grid.
Streets were oriented
North and South,
East and West.
North South streets were named
In alphabetical order.
When the alphabet ended,
It began again.
East and west
Were numbered.
For numbered streets
There is no end.
Now I live on a one block lane
With curves.
I am forever getting mixed up.
I reorient myself daily
By the sun.
In truth
I have been off the grid
For years.
Now
The alphabet has way more
Than twenty six letters.
Now
I have completely lost faith
In numbers.
I am gridless.
I reorient daily
By the sun.

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