My Hometown

I first saw Cleave Poetry on Ben Alexander’s wonderful blog, so I did a little research. This style of poetry, created by Dr. Phvoc-Tan Diep, is three poems combined into one with two contrasting views. The reader must read the right side of the poem. Then the left side of the poem. Finally, they must read all the lines to catch the entire meaning. I decided to try this style of poetry for December. I think it might prove to be my biggest challenge—the next poem of the month I titled My Hometown. Things have changed over the years, but the core values have stayed the same in my hometown. We still celebrate Christmas and sing Joy to the World.

My Hometown

I grew up here/ smokestacks and factories everywhere

There was a time I moved away/ but it didn’t pay

My return was fated/ the hypocrisies of the cities I hated

To the land of opportunity/ this restless community

A place to make a living/ it’s twilight now dimming

Revitalization taking place/ a sudden fall from grace

Small businesses the solution/  in the ashes of the industrial revolution

Covid can’t even shut us down/ the aftermath exists in my hometown

The people here are just the same/ Hoosiers working at the factory game

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

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