Green Bay: The City That Never Evolves

Green Bay. To best describe growing up in this working class, backwards town, I will share a poem I wrote over 10 years ago for a 11th grade Language Arts class. Modeled after Carl Sandburg's "Chicago", we were given the assignment to describe our fair city.

My Ode to Green Bay

As the summer sun hits my face, the cool grass squishes between my toes

And on those blistery winter days, when the powder falls like sugar on my warm face

The carefree children run in the streets, playing their innocent games

The beat-up Dodge with the sticker on the rusting bumper reads, "I spent my Grandchildren's inheritance." A lie in its own words

And downtown, below the old decrepited buildings, the buzzing cars wiz by, shouting frustration through a horn.

The people chant in full enthusiasm, "Go Pack Go!" A sickening, stale cliche.

The smell of smog, ominous smoke, clog my lungs, suffocates my fair skin

The putrid scent of cow slaughter swells within my nostrils, and the silent screams of thousands echo in my ears.

And the tiny floating particles that invade my mouth, pollution from the filthy paper mills, choking my will to live.

City of adulteration and the past!

City of exaggerating trifles!

Green Bay.

(keep in mind, I wrote it when I was 17).

I was born and raised in this stale city. As was my father. As a teenager, I hated living in Green Bay. There was never anything to do or anywhere to go. We had to go to Appleton if we wanted anything decent. (I know we made that trip more than once in your family's caramel mini van). I hated growing up in a town that was a slave to a sport. Remember when they canceled school when The Packers won the Super Bowl?! I hated that everything was green and gold. (Even our school colors AND Ashwaubenon HS). I hated that everything was "Packerland" this. Did you know that Green Bay is now called "The City of Celebrations"? What? It should be "The City that Never Evolves".

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud to be from Green Bay. I don't mind it so much anymore. I don't spend enough time there to despise it.

When you moved to Green Bay, the city glowed. Ok, I'm exaggerating. But you breathed new life into this town. You were an outsider. You were new. You were different. You had an accent!

There are so many memories of us in this town. Even during the "dark years" that we didn't acknowledge each other, there were still hints of your presence. I remember watching a video of my Kurt Cobain look-alike boyfriend's band. And you were in the crowd, looking up at the band with your big, stone blue eyes. Your little bob hair cut bouncing with the music.

I remember when we started speaking again. You passed me a notebook in the hallway. The *new* NFN? And we went to Country Kitchen (there is one in Cadott, WI). I remember you had this big, scary secret to tell me. I remember you being nervous and edgy. And when you confided in me, I laughed. I laughed loud and hard. Not in mean way, but in relief. I thought your parents were getting divorced, or dying, or you were going to boot camp. Your secret, so huge in its own right, but so insignificant to our friendship. I love you regardless of this secret. It was a shock, but it would never change or alter our bond. Nothing could do that. Nothing could shake our friendship.

Every time I pass that sad little restaurant, right off of Main, I think of that night. The night you thought would be a test of our friendship. It was no test. You showed me a side of you I had never know. I side I wanted to know.