I have a folder called Daily Writings, where I write quick entries that come to mind, usually on walks, and which have no other theme or connecting purpose. Below is one such entry. I wrote it in response to my walk to work being disrupted by construction, rather ugly construction that’s still underway as of this writing. The sidewalk itself is now completely gone, and pedestrians take other routes. The routes are convenient, but I can’t help but miss the park.

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The Park is Gone

On my walk to work, there was a little park. It was next to a high-rise and across from an elementary school. It consisted of a lawn, some trees, and two gazebos covered in wisteria vines. I usually saw residents of the high rise walking their dogs in it, and children walking through it with their parents.

Sadly, that park is gone.

I was walking home from a baseball game and stood in shock when I saw the gazebos torn down and the trees uprooted, lying in piles. There was now a chainlink fence separating pedestrians from the carnage, keeping them on one remaining sidewalk interrupted by dirt and a lone tree.

As the days went on, the remains of the trees disappeared, as did the grass. The machines began digging a large hole in the ground, regularly breaking into the land and digging deeper and deeper into the dirt. Pipes are exposed and brown dirt fills the space. Where once was a park, there is now a gaping hole. Soon it will be filled with concrete. I cannot say which will be uglier.

Today, the sidewalk is gone. The chainlink fence had been moved over it so they could dig more dirt. The sidewalk was replaced by gravel and dirt, which pedestrians once again had no choice but to take, maneuvering around each other as there is little space left to walk.

The lone tree is also gone. There is a flat stump and a single sprawling root, a wooden vein, where it once stood.

It is a shame that the beauty of the park was not enough to withstand progress.

~July 22, 2016