The Urban Process Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Renovate.
Great places to destroy diversity.
Excavate and relocate history.
To implement gentrification.
Turn abandoned buildings into condos.
Impoverish inner city people.
Diminish opportunities.
Import suburbanites.
Those isolated from the reality of life.
Recreate their vision,
Of what attracts people...
To live in such stagnant boring places.
Without participation,
From the ones who supplied the energy.
And diversity before destroyed.

This ignorance...
To believe will achieve success,
Progress and prosperity for the rich.
Has been a repeated failure,
Of the urban process.
By those with minds fixed on greed.
And creating for themselves,
A wealth of witnessed thoughtlessness.
Permitted selfishness and ongoing stupidity!
Then wonder why taxes are high.
Businesses leave.
And people with division on their minds,
Are left to look stressed.