Gasylvania

Dear Pennsylvania, Why do you have such a short term memory? Do you not recall where past promises of prosperity left you after the timber, tanning, and coal mining industries died out a few decades ago? Your once-booming towns are now barely alive…

Alaska sits on a vast reserve natural resources. Every Alaskan citizen receives a royalty check from those resources each year. But here in PA, despite your position on top of Marcellus Shale, your citizens have trouble paying jacked-up rents and escalating school taxes. Sense is evidently common in Alaska and rare in Pennsylvania…

Gasylvania is how I will now refer to this state.

My master wrote the poem below, which he said I can share with you. Here it is:

Gasylvania

 

how little

we remember

when

Penn walked

these woods–

not on trail

of man or machine,

but panther,

wolf, elk,

and wolverine.

 

how little

we remember

when

men clearcut

these woods–

all to wail

by man and machine,

for lumber,

masts, paper,

and tanning.

 

how little

we remember

when

men mined

these woods–

out to fail

by man and machine,

for iron,

ore, coke,

and coal.

 

how much

was forgot

about Penn

and clearcutting

and mining

when

men leased

these woods—

now on bail

by man and machine,

for gas.

 

new centuries

of false promises

of prosperity

are now ours

in Gasylvania.