Few know that the Oregon trail ends in the city of Olympia in Washington state. Sylvester Park is laid out on the very spot where the trail is said to have ended. In 1997 I attended the 150th anniversary celebration of the historic trail.
Teminus for ordeal by ox and prairie schooner,
where slight survivors began rejuvenation,
the wretched fortunate refusing a backward glance,
children with ancient faces set atop skeletal frames
tried desperately to remember what it meant to play.
Manifest Destiny's broken terra incognitae rested.
Swamp Mama Johnson's concert in the park,
a blues-to-the-wall celebration of life and love,
was a saxaphoned shibboleth for offbeat orphans.
Homeless youth played hacky-sack in time;
a baglady danced with the little girl with Downs;
a camera rocked on the shoulders of the PBS man
--- Olympia gave hommage to ghosts in the gazebo.
Poetry by Brian Oarr
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Written on 2012-01-17 at 15:45
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Sesquicentennial in Sylvester Park -- 1/28/97
Granite plaque in a tulip bed, end to the Oregon Trail.Teminus for ordeal by ox and prairie schooner,
where slight survivors began rejuvenation,
the wretched fortunate refusing a backward glance,
children with ancient faces set atop skeletal frames
tried desperately to remember what it meant to play.
Manifest Destiny's broken terra incognitae rested.
Swamp Mama Johnson's concert in the park,
a blues-to-the-wall celebration of life and love,
was a saxaphoned shibboleth for offbeat orphans.
Homeless youth played hacky-sack in time;
a baglady danced with the little girl with Downs;
a camera rocked on the shoulders of the PBS man
--- Olympia gave hommage to ghosts in the gazebo.
Poetry by Brian Oarr
Read 488 times
Written on 2012-01-17 at 15:45
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
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