Visiting My Hometown Poem by Raymond Farrell

There are happy memories
Attached to the town
I grew up in
But when I returned
For a few months
At the age of 62
I remember walking
From the south modern side
Across the river
And up the main street
Of the older northern part
I started up the hill
Of the main street
And noticed the absence
Of so many of the small shops
And family owned businesses
That dominated the place
When I was growing up
The trend is like that seen
In most small towns now
The big box stores
Are cropping up
On the outskirts of the town
And the downtown area
Is decaying and dying
Once prosperous businesses
Gone
Replaced by pawn shops
Second hand stores, and tatoo parlors
As I saw the run down state
Of the main street
I began to feel my aching back
And stiff hips and knees
I thought
This town like myself
Has nearly run out of gas.