We walked down the almost empty main street
in bright cold March sunshine
bare pavement rimmed by bulging snowbanks
we stepped over one opalescent ice stream
that made this patch of concrete treacherous
The silence was Shakespearian
no birds in the bright cold
sparse traffic
why did the final gasp of a shoe store
seem like a wake
Out on the edge of town
the massive Trojan Horse gleams golden
festooned with cheap imported goodies
at low low prices
Soon Jay-Gee will be as empty
as the minds of the worshipers
of the Trojan horse
[For a backgrounder to this post, see Platinum River for March 30, 2008. ]
I have spoken to many people who were shocked by Joanne’s decision to close this iconic store. I can understand that competition by Wal-Mart destroys community commerce: we are seeing it here. More power to communities that refuse to allow the Trojan horse to poach in their neighbourhoods.