RoseAnn V. Shawiak City Poems

Walking sidewalks of the city, following their lengthy paths to stores, homes and bus stops.
Tirelessly each day - waiting in the heat with very little shade, if any.
Invariably late, schedules rendered useless, appointments missed.
Bus drivers themselves worn out from driving and stopping in the heat.
...

City streets are constant eye-sores - dirty, cracking,
full of pot holes, running rampantly all over our city.

ADOT should be cited for millions of violations, but
...

City of Phoenix is a lie - an illusion - run by
incompetents and derisive fools.
Leaving nothing to the imagination as workers
lie, cheat and steal from the public.
...

Sad state of affairs here at the Senior Center for New
Year's Day and Christmas.

A ruling having come down from City Hall stating that
...

Feeling the wind brushing my face with wisps of long
hair, sun shining heatedly on my being, relaxing muscles
and easing tension.
...

Magnetizing a lifetime through proper channels, thriving
on edges of another dimension.

Walking into a city of angels, hands prayerfully folded
...

Life-taking events multiply when you're dealing with the city.
So many charges and fees for so little service.
How does anyone expect a person to eke out a living if government officials insist on taking what little hard-earned money we each have left?
It doesn't make sense to one who grew up so poor.
...

Nerves frazzled, touching parts of people the wrong way.
Taking always from the poor to give to those who have more than they deserve.
Why are services being diminished for elderly and disabled, the least of our population that can help themselves?
Budget problems, money not available, because it's been given to Marriott hotels to build on properties obtained through imminent domain.
...

Sunshine now gone,
sky is slowly darkening in front of my eyes,
as city lights begin coming on all over town.
Dark clouds stretching out their arms to touch
...

Bank One ball park - what a blight on our fair city!

A monstrosity - ugly - standing like a toad in the way
of beautifying the city of Phoenix.
...

Looking out windows on the tenth floor, trying to find a
pleasant view, finding I have to peek between buildings.

Wherever I look, ugly buildings, air conditioning units,
...

Another ugly dinosaur building going up across the street
from city hall.

A monstrosity in every phase, image, idea of the word.
...

Life-threatening ideas, sitting on easels, pointing out
errors in lives of people.

Self-appointed gods, pulling strings, threatening public
...

Listening to votes by the City Council, seeing up front and
center how corrupt they all are, except for Jim Waring.

He's an outstanding and honest citizen of Phoenix, taking
...

Watching clear blue skies being filled with white fluffy
cumulus clouds, spreading across the city of Phoenix so
gently and beautifully.
...

Sun hiding gently, shyly behind pine trees, peeking
occasionally through the leaves.
...

City Hall, a place of enjoyment?

It seems so, it's Christmas and our Mayor has thrown city
employees a Christmas reception with cookies, punch, cider
...

Riding into the sunrise on my favorite horse,
a stallion, black as ebony nights in the
desert.
...

Ugly repeater towers, standing ironly against
concrete and steel buildings, making their
appearance.
...

Looking from a tenth floor window, out upon a ruined desert
city.

High rise buildings, unnatural trees and landscaping, all
...

Scurrying outside city hall to sit by a fountain and write
about all that is seen.

Shadows of a dismal city building fall upon gravelly side-
...

Bureaucracy of ignorant city workers preying on poorer people
because they have no way to fight back.

How pitiful the petty claims sound up against the reality of
...

Writing poetry, I don't care for facts and figures,
leaving all that to hefty bureaucrats, just writing
what I see, and commenting on modern hypocrisy.
...