Slow Down

denied his peace
behind a sidewalk and grass yard
along Arlington avenue
overflowing secondary freeway for
commuters cutting through
squealing tires
careening around corners
occasional collisions

would a fatality finally
end the motor madness
cops couldn't control?

his correspondence languished in
the complaint box
until proposed
speed bumps and stop sign
were officially rejected
couldn't count on changes

hoped to hide his home behind
a city approved wall
to keep the barbarians at bay

an anarchist's answer: the soil
planted six sequoia seedlings
June 6th at 6:00 a.m.
hatred flowed in every blow
of pick axe and shovel

stimulated their growth
with sacks of shit and
a row of spot lights
synthetic sunlight
24/7

ignored the knocks of neighbors seeking sleep
their complaints met the same fate as his
tabled for further consideration

his obstinate obsession
fed rumors of mental instability
neighbors fled the spot light
behind dark drapes

meanwhile
maybe a million cars crossed
as saplings grew up and outwards
towards the light
roots rolled under concrete and asphalt
raised the road
he got his speed bumps too

redwoods caused red roads
when cars couldn't make the curve

city counselors considered
safety statistics
speed
correlated with collisions
two teens had lost their heads
municipal liabilities weighed
against materials and labor
he got his stop sign too

sign led to log jam
commuters changed their course
finding faster freeways

triumphant in his efforts
he flexed bulging botany biceps
he'd shattered stilted social systems
solved spreading speeding sickness
straightened out selfish steering

at night he couldn't sleep
silence kept him up
his mind still in street attack mode
he read detective novels
one opened as his world would end
Paul Clifford he read,

it was a dark and stormy night
the rain fell in torrents
except at occasional intervals
when it was checked by a violent gust of wind

shallow roots ripped
young redwood flew
cut down by the wind weed whacker
crushed his roof

buried beneath his boundary
hell
he hadn't dug deep enough to
anchor them in the Arlington

©polarpaul 2006