TOO MANY PEOPLE

by Gordon Prickett

Alone on this early street

A COUGH across the way says no.

Like Hong Kong in 1991, there are people moving

on this Oakland street at every hour

Running, walking, walking dogs, running leashed dogs

or no leash, cycling, motoring, on sidewalk, roadway, driveway

close together.

The houses fill up 50 by 50 foot lots

leaving cars at the curb.

Any garages are scarce space for storage

and spillover living.

Regulations tell you when to move your car,

scoop after your pets, cross the street with... 7, 6, 5, 4 seconds

to get out of the way.

From northwoods Minnesota I came for a few weeks.

Today I fly back and resume life as we know it.

We who portage, paddle, plow, fish, and hunt

grow food, build things, mine ore, cut timber, raise cattle

don't drink so much wine

or insist on so many kinds of coffee.

My country road has more deer than settlers.

No wonder this absence of quiet leads me to see

a future diminished by too many people.



Gordon Prickett January 2008

Noah's New York Bagels in Oakland, California

7:10 a.m., January 7