Once upon a time, there was a park here. Nothing extraordinary – a semi-wild suburban space with trees, and unkempt grass. A pocket forest of mature maples and oaks with uphill path un-cleared of fallen branches. Namesake creek wandered through, widening to pools for schools of fishes, or deepening for muskrat, large snapping turtles, ducks and wading birds. Even tiny acrobat crawfish danced around rocks and tiny ripples. Narrowing to burble and croon as tiny rapids. Bird song filled spaces between branches: “death rattle” of kingfishers; migrating warblers sweetening Spring; pops, peeps, calls, cries of cardinals, blue jays, orioles, red-wing black birds. Some warblers stayed, joined later by hummingbirds as the banks of jewel weed – orangy-yellow flowers like tiny upside down orchards – came into bloom. Mockingbirds took on the songs of them all. Hawks maneuvered, vultures hovered. Families of groundhogs – even a grouping of dark, almost black ones – trundled about. Rabbits nibbled, squirrels squealed, chipmunks posed, knowing just how cute they looked. Not idyll but breathing space. Place to watch nature unfold from creek side, old stone “bridge” span, crashed down in the middle, or aging street bridge, semi-paths. Seasons: myriad greens of spring, summer flowers, rich golds and reds of fall, gaunt branches of winter.
Gone. Progress, or rather retrogress, supposedly, back to when the park was created in the 1930s. This meant all but a couple of mature trees were cut down, replaced by saplings, of which only a few have survived. Hillsides terraced with ugly stone, planted with bushes that neither thrive not bloom. Paths paved with asphalt. Shape and nature of creek altered – dredged, straightened, de-natured. Left the old stone span – now part of huge drainage pipe. Certain tree cutting business, certain contractor, certain “landscape engineer” profited greatly. As did some politicians no doubt.
Part of the park could have been made people-friendly, and part remained nature friendly. Now a non-natural dog-walk, kids-in-stroller park, power-walking park. Complete with unused “exercise” stations. Either/or. Couldn’t be both – not in the minds of the politicians who made the decision to denature the place. No compromise, no public input. County land, so town said nothing. Now, county wants to remove all the grass from adjoining ball park/soccer fields, and replace it with artificial turf. Suddenly, town cries, “But wait – what about the benefits of grass, of the natural, the real.” Joni Mitchel sang, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone/They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” Or in this case, lay Astroturf.
The decision to pull America out of the Paris Climate Pact came on the day Michael’s Tale Weaver prompt was about parks. An all or nothing proposition. Well, I soap-boxed. I’m sorry. I do go to my once upon a park and guerrilla garden – planting native wildflower seeds. It took several years before I could go without feeling so upset over the loss. Bird populations are declining anyways, and with the loss of the park habitat, we’ve noticed it in our back garden. Migrating warblers aren’t like spring flowers in the overhanging oaks. Regular visitors to our feeders are now rare. At the park, few groundhogs, no turtles, muskrats, flotilla of ducklings.
But today is also the 50th anniversary of the Beatles Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. There are three Strawberry Fields: that of the song, a park that still exists in Liverpool, England and a section of Central Park in New York City in honour of John Lennon. So with no further ado, Strawberry Fields, Forever.
Let me take you down,
’cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real,
And nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Living is easy with eyes closed,
Misunderstanding all you see.
It’s getting hard to be someone,
But it all works out;
It doesn’t matter much to me.
Let me take you down,
’cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real,
And nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.
No one I think is in my tree,
I mean, it must be high or low.
That is, you can’t, you know, tune in,
But it’s all right.
That is, I think it’s not too bad.
Let me take you down,
’cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real,
And nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Living is easy with eyes closed,
Misunderstanding all you see.
It’s getting hard to be someone,
But it all works out;
It doesn’t matter much to me.
Let me take you down,
’cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real,
And nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Always know, sometimes think it’s me.
But you know, I know when it’s a dream.
I think a “No,” I mean a “Yes,”
But it’s all wrong.
That is, I think I disagree.
Let me take you down,
’cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real,
And nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever. Strawberry Fields forever,
Strawberry Fields forever, Strawberry Fields forever.
The song was written by John Lennon and attributed to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership.
June 3, 2017 at 11:20 pm
Ah, now I understand what you were so upset about. And rightly so.
Stand on that soapbox! I’ll jump up there with you.
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June 5, 2017 at 9:02 am
Thanks Wendy — you are more than welcome to join any of my soap boxes any time.
Glad I was finally able to put into understandable words the anger and anguish the destruction of what I felt was “my” piece of the natural in an unnatural world.
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June 3, 2017 at 1:22 pm
Great take Lorraine. I always loved the Beatles tune but not the movie so much, my mom forced me to watch it with her one too many times. I do think it’s terrible from Trump to pull out if the Paris talks and refuse climate change. His isolationist policies are disturbing as his reccent (to me) discrimination against French culture/leader’s in general. The words from Forrest Gump: ‘Stupid is as Stupid does’ come to mind. I loved your description of all the animals and their habitats, how keeping even some of the space natural wasn’t even thought of.
It very much reminded me of the Moors in the Disney redo ‘Malificent’ and all the wonderful creatures, fairies etc. In the Moors. To me if she hadn’t put up a wall of thorns King Stefan and his men would’ve destroyed the Moors. This parallels to me with your story except, there was no magic or power to save the park space.
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June 3, 2017 at 9:40 pm
Yes, I wish there had been a magical presence in the neighbourhood to have put a spell on the bull dozers, tree chompers, and chippers. Guess I’ll have to plant pixie dust in with the wildflower seeds, just in case the place develops a wilder nature, and all the county’s developers want to tear that back down again.
Yes, people are stupid. Trumpworld still has it’s happy idiotic citizens. There is a dark turn in the air. At least the French say fit not to elect a female Trump — no wonder he snubbed the French leader/culture. Today I swear I heard on the radio that Trump said something to the effect that the US is the “cleanest” nation in the world, and “we” don’t need some stupid treaty to stay that way. No, according to Trump, we just need to reinstitute burning coal. To stay clean?
Sorry, I do get Soapboxy!
Thanks for the nice compliments on my park story. I appreciate your thoughts. Always.
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June 3, 2017 at 9:48 pm
Thanks Lorraine. I don’t know if you remember, last week DT shoved past a French minister. Well our prime minister Trudeau had been speaking in French with this guy. DT didn’t like that he couldn’t understand French so he shoved the other French guy out of the way. 2 year old behaviour. I don’t think there is a filter where DT thinks about what he says. It’s why he never remembers saying it, he never thought about. I like to watch Colbert on late night TV. He is always bang on with his DT news :) Cheers.
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June 3, 2017 at 11:06 pm
I did watch a few Colberts as I had heard of his Trump-truthiness. I had heard Trump was rude, but did not realize to what extent! Saying he behaves like a 2 year old is giving 2 year olds bad names, lol. I should watch Colbert’s monologues more often — I always liked his “character,” it’s interesting to watch him as himself.
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June 4, 2017 at 12:24 am
Haha yes Colbert’s very sharp and on point and yes that Trump-truthiness was pretty funny lol.
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June 3, 2017 at 11:07 pm
PS: Colbert lives in the same town in NJ as one of my nephew-in-laws. Gee, I should go visit more often, just might run into him.
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June 4, 2017 at 12:22 am
Yes for sure! 😊
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June 3, 2017 at 9:16 am
” pops, peeps, calls, cries of cardinals, blue jays, orioles, red-wing black birds.”
– wow – what a way to describe the musicality of the birds – which, given the wealth of variety, makes for interesting songs – and it’s hard to name it – but I read this line, and I think: yeah, it’s got this feeling, it sounds like this, doesn’t it? how wonderful to read it and have it come to life in my head :)
“Not idyll but breathing space.”
Wow – great line – perfect placement after the wealth of rich description of the wild life that lives and co-exists in these spaces – definitely a kingdom so full ….
This is an interesting piece, in response to the TW – and yup, the loss – the mourning for what could have been “effectively and responsibly” “cleaned up” – without altering the natural, forcing the ‘industrial” – whereas it could have been co-existence and a means and way of preserving the best – sometimes nature does need a helping hand – selective pruning to avoid danger? but honestly, “clear cutting” can take on many forms, and the timeless, senseless and ultimately useless battle “man versus nature” – and in the name of profit? Bahhh …
And I’m not even going to “touch” Trump and his stupidity – I mean, not at all, because he isn’t worth the screen space or a rise in my blood pressure.
As for your efforts You know how I feel about it (((((((((Lorraine))))))
so even as the “field” has been ravaged and raped and no longer rises to the splendour of before, perhaps with time, it will return, to something of beauty, once more – and those who know and understand, will learn to live and stand, by its side, with humility and grace, as opposed to sneering arrogance and dollar signs in the eyes.
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June 5, 2017 at 9:06 am
Finally replying! Sorry, I get lost sometimes.
I have written about the park, in my mind, many times since it’s disappearance. I am glad I was able to put into words the beauty and marvel of it’s existence, and the loss I felt and still feel. Like a part of me was reconstructed without my permission — raped is a good analogy for the park and how it made me feel. Yes, neglect will take over, unfortunately meaning the replanted trees that die (regularly) won’t be replaced. But the weeds and the bushes should return some day. And I hope my seeds will take root, bringing color and life back to the gutted stream margins.
Thanks for you very insightful comment. I appreciate your thoughts and observations.
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June 5, 2017 at 1:49 pm
don’t worry about the delay … sometimes, especially when you’re running several log ins, and with everything else, things get shuffled here and there …..
raped – yup, it’s an apt, unfortunately, analogy – so much taken, without any consideration, or long term understanding or insight, much less respect for the years in a life cycle …. so I can understand how difficult and disturbing it is – it’s like an open wound that nature can only work around, until she reclaims it back in totality.
Hopefully your efforts will bring some magic back – at the very least, I would say that the park knows of your efforts, and you energy and love, and will gently feed on this and use it to help heal itself, if not in body, but on some other, far greater, mystical level …. and I hope that even in some small way, it allows you some “revenge pleasure” (I know, terrible “non-karma friendly aspect, but hey, at least I’m honest about it!) and actually, some healing, spirit soul nourishment for you too.
((((((((((((Lorraine)))))))))))
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June 5, 2017 at 11:01 pm
I’m into revenge — I do plot more than I ever undertake, but I think guerrilla gardening is an allowable revenge pleasure, and might not shake up the karma too much.
Yes, there is something healing in the act of planting a possible return to natural self. I also make it a rule (started years and years ago) to never think negative thoughts while in my garden, or in this case, someone elses. So there is the healing aspect of that — a break from the negativity those voices love to promote.
((((((((((Pat))))))))) just because hugs are good for the soul.
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June 6, 2017 at 7:18 pm
thanks for the hugs and right back at you ((((((((((Lorraine)))))))
well it sounds to me like you have all the best of the bases covered, I like your thoughts and attitude about how you try to hold yourself while working|gardening – I never had that, much less could even fathom it – I’m too intense, so when something really irks me, it’s no holds barred, even if I’m working in a garden, something about slicing into the earth or a perennial relieves me, but I admit, there have been times when I’ve taken it out on the plants, even though they have been completely innocent – thankfully, it did no lasting damage, and I immediately regretted it and asked them for forgiveness, but it did absolutely nothing to stop my anger – I just redirected it to another “plant less space” …. of course, when part of the anger lies in the actual work – you know, when gardening for the crazies? LOL – then, it’s all justified, if only in my mind.
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June 7, 2017 at 4:30 pm
Yes, it does depend just who you are gardening for. If for someone else who deserves to be hit with a shovel, then I can see why the plants might get rough treatment.
But you do apologize and ask for forgiveness. That’s special and important. I tend to direct anger at inanimate objects capable of being flung, tossed, turned over. Not a pleasant experience when I’m in full rage mode — the house cringes.
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June 8, 2017 at 12:39 pm
LOL@the house cringes …. not because it’s actually funny, but it is, but because I can completely relate – and I do the same thing …. I’m really one nasty fury when I’m in full rage mode, and I often wonder how it is that I manage to control myself as much as I do …. but when I can’t, don’t or won’t – oh crap!
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June 9, 2017 at 9:09 am
I think of my rage as dwelling in a magma chamber — super-heated, contained until there is a geological shift, a crack in the crust, and wham.
And like all volcanic eruptions — it can spew high and hot and long, ooze lava slowly, or just blow the top off the whole damn mountain. Now, if it would just create new islands of sanity as nature’s volcanos both destroy and create.
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June 12, 2017 at 12:34 pm
Actually, I’m guessing, actually, I’d say, it does create new islands – as for “sane” or otherwise – well, as you’ve noted, because you already know and understand – everything is about destruction and hence creation, and creation is also about destruction – endings, beginnings, life, death – it’s all about change, flow and adaptations ….
as for why you think or believe it doesn’t seem to create any new “sane islands” – well, like everyone else, and believe me, I’m no different and I think you know that we understand each other very well ….. etc. – it’s simply because you’re projecting an “expectation” of what it “should” be – what this island of “sanity” is “supposed” to be like – so we “see” the limitations of our projections, expectations and demands, as opposed to what’s really there –
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June 13, 2017 at 1:29 am
I am a projector showing through the dust-moted lens the never-ending slicing together flickering shadows on the wall of the heart and the mind.
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June 13, 2017 at 6:05 pm
valid enough for you, as you see fit – but don’t forget, you can always clean the lens free …. and see fresh, even in the deepest ugliness, there is beauty in this truth – think of the park space – there are still aspects that are beautiful, they may have become spliced and split from what was once whole – but this doesn’t mean that they are now less than “beautiful” – in fact, sometimes, in the splicing, what was lost for the forest, then becomes “outstanding” ….
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June 2, 2017 at 1:33 am
Wow such a great contribution to this week’s Tale Weaver Lorraine, thanks for sharing with us and yes climate change will impact upon us all, even the ‘rich’ and deluded…
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June 5, 2017 at 9:09 am
I was reading about the personal economic costs of climate change for the next generation. Each person will have to earn an additional $100,000 a year to cover increased costs for food, shelter, utilities, amenities, etc. People will have to choose climate change proof occupations, be willing to move, etc. And the article was talking just about America.
Lovely irony — just as Trump is pushing coal, New Jersey closed two more of it’s coal burning power plants. Some states have sworn to continue to strive for smaller carbon foot prints. Let’s hope more join the cause.
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