the city

by wiggly jones, "the little hippie boy"

illustration by konrad kraus and roy dismas

different folks have different ideas of how life ought to be some want to do their duty others just want to be free some folks want to live forever in peace and love they trust others want to conquer the world and rub its face in the dust some live inside the great city others on the outskirts bleak a few still live in the country but they will be here next week once some folks lived in castles others in hovels bare now they gather at mcdonalds and wendy’s and smoothies and fries they share once some lived in mansions and walked down marble halls with pictures of their ancestors staring from the walls they slept on sheets of satin and in the morning rode to hounds but in the new world such behavior is strictly out of bounds others stayed below the stairs and made the cakes and tea but now they too are swept along by the tide of history the city walls are towering blotting out the sun over those who dreamt of glory and those who just wanted to have fun those who wanted to save the world from patriarchy and from sin those who wanted to invent the games that only they could win those who shouted at meetings with whatever they had to say and others who were happy to watch television all day now all are gathered together in one happy amalgamation there is a bit of pushing and shoving but the train never leaves the station the city gates are closing closing in the wind and snow a few sad stragglers talk to themselves but they have no place to go