From Shaker Heights to Tower City,
RTA tracks are still an anchor.
back and forth upon the path
yet I still feel much rancor.
Can we folks still live together
and integrate a few?
smug and fear, mistrust, “You seem weird”
let’s begin anew.
Remember lush and colorful gardens,
There was ne’er a beetle or bug.
now there’s dirt and boarded window
as barriers to hard drugs.
Noisy construction has been completed,
Harvey Rice looks just great.
yet a prejudicial pandemic, lost empathy…
still greet folks at the gate.
I sense a universal spirit,
mixing arts and history,
family pride, heritage alive
differences needn’t repel as mystery.
From Shaker Heights to Tower City
RTA tracks are still an anchor.
back and forth upon the path,
can we get help from our Maker?
Lola Farron began writing about eight years ago. She enjoys writing poetry, creative nonfiction and memoirs. She spent many years teaching elementary school/ the creative arts and practicing Occupational Therapy. Lola’s father was a Hungarian immigrant and he owned a shoe store on Buckeye Road. She worked in the store with her entire family. Lola witnessed the transition of the area from Hungarian to integration with the African American community. Her pastimes include: love of the arts, holistic health and global cuisine.
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Literary Cleveland is a nonprofit organization and creative writing center that empowers people to explore other voices and discover their own. Through an expanding roster of multi-level classes, workshops and events, Literary Cleveland assists writers and readers at all stages of development, promotes new and existing literature of the highest quality, and advances Northeast Ohio as a vital center of diverse voices and visions.
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