Born of progress and poverty
they took root in the pines
along Mobile Bay shedding
a beneficent light to all the world,
knowing they might have
a fair hope of succeeding.
–
They owned the land,
they shared the land
and everyone paid a single tax.
–
The poets came first, slides,
tourists and Shakespeareans later.
-.
The land is so creative and fertile
that flowers bloom all year:
petunias in the summer,
snapdragons in the winter.
–
Fairhope has a school
of organic education
near the winter home
Clarence Darrow discussed
monkey business with Scopes,
close to the summer tent
where Upton Sinclair
penned his worst work.
–
The scent of
fried green tomatoes
is everywhere.
–
Its population
a little over 15,000:
13k writers, 2k readers,
all of them dreamers.
–
The walkable downtown
can be stepped in the time
it takes to read 10 great poems,
a medium New Yorker short story,
and scan the beauty
of an Ansel Adam’s bluff—
not including stops
for when inspiration hits.
–
Every porch rocking chair
has the creak of well told tales,
some of them true.
–
The restaurants serve
good meals wavering
between pretentious and grass fed.
–
Fairhope is a town where the owner
of the biggest bookshop is also its mayor.
–
The seasons blend into art shows,
sunset concerts, film festivals
and arts and crafts cross pollinations.
–
Fairhope is a well-read,
clean and well lighted place.
–
The moment you leave
you hit your head
and then remember
that everyone you met
had writer’s block.
–
It’s small secret:
everything is plagiarized.
There is an actual Fairhope in Alabama. The details for this poem where taken from a New York Times article about the town. This poem is no more plagiarized than Shakespeare’s great plays were culled from lesser known sources.
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