FROM THE STABLE OF "PROJECT 50"
THE FIFTY AMERICAN CITIES IN POETRY!
NUMBER THREE/NUMERO TRES
CHICAGO:
The City of Moveable Bridges.
Sitting on the bank of
Chicago River,on southern tip of
Lake Michigan,
just at Chicago potage
is the third American
largest city-CHICAGO-the Windy City.
Three-hundred-and-forty-five years ago,
Louis Joliet and father
Jacques Marquette arrived-Chicaguo-
home of Potawatomi-Native Americans.
Chicaguo-garden of garlic-
would soon become a permanent
home of Jean Baptiste du Sable-
fur-trading African-American;
within two-hundred year-of
hard work and tenacity of purpose,
Chicago from fur trade outpost
now sits on a-750-billion-dollar-
economy in continental America.
Chicago-a city with commanding power;
city of many firsts
in you is the first skyscraper,
in her first Columbian
exhibition held in 1873,
in her moveable bridges
adorn American landscape.
Oh! Chicago-in you was first
commodity market established,
in you-first Republican primary held in 1860
Chicago-from you-first Republican
President came.
Chicago-engineering ingenuity
in you-know no bounds,
you gave America first
concrete corn cob-the corn
tower and titling structure.
Chicago-within your gates-
scientific feats of water
purification and preservation
invented ,in you was first blood bank,
you gave America-technology-
of wireless remote,mechanical
vacuum cleaner you hand
delivered to America,
meatpacking process-gift from you-
to America.
Chicago-birth pill control-from you,
zipper-the clasp locker-from
your gates it came, mechanical
dishwasher another
value you added to
America scientific feat.
Chicago-many were your glories-
silos for grain storage-you gave
America in 1873
in you was Ferris Wheels-
27 million visitors saw in 1873,
and soft ball-special gift-from you
to Americans on 1887 thanksgiving day.
Entertainment from you has
no equal-cartoon characters
you made part of “steamboat Willie.”
City of many wonders-
blue water front-reminiscent
of Mediterranean Sea found
in you,
a proud owner of a green river.
Chicago-every known odd-you overcame,
great Chicago fire,Haymarket affairs,
from you America template
on public health-originated.
Even in those dark days,
you rose to the challenges,
prohibition era made you
popular, but not what you wanted;
city of Chicago –north, south, and central
gangsters-controlled-
with awe and trepidation.
Yes! Americans never forget
your yesterday’s trouble with
gangsters;
still you made Americans
happy from the fields of Baseball
and basket ball through
Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox.
Great men and women-you have given to
shape American history-Abraham Lincoln
was from you,
Stephen Douglass was your son,
Chesbrough-another son of note.
Chicago-city of Jane Byrne,
abode of Harold Washington,
home of Carol Moseley-Braun.
Chicago! Chicago! Chicago!
City with great epithets-
"Mud City”
“Windy City”
the “Chi Town”
“Second City”
“City of Big Shoulders”
“City of Beautiful.”
The windy city of America,
land of Potawatoni-natives-
American’s city of wonders;
America’s number one home of
innovation and inventions;
CHICAGO-The Heart of America.
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