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Monday November 12, 2007
Savepalms.com: bemoaning the removal of royal palms along Biscayne Blvd. I saw this website on a bumper sticker. (Not sure if they’re still sending these out — the website hasn’t been updated since February. I suppose the fight is over.)
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Ode to Biscayne Boulevard
or
Starbucks vs. The Grande Dame in the Battle of Biscayne Mall
The moon hung high over Miami
Jackie Gleason made out of green cheese.
The stench on old Biscayne Boulevard
Wafted up on the morning’s sea breeze.
The new towers of high rise condos
Have replaced the majestic banyans.
This corridor of luxury suites
Has created a limestone canyon.
Long shadows spread over the pavement
Temporarily relieve the heat.
Denizens scurry about their business
Looking only to survive on the street.
An bag lady pushing her legacy.
A crack whore needing a place to sleep.
A policeman drinking Cuban coffee.
A construction worker parking his jeep.
Dust settles on every surface.
The traffic is absolutely cruel.
Just too much human displacement
In the name of urban renewal.
Changes that should be questioned
Keep our old neighborhood in flux.
They have taken away the green spaces
And replaced them with the likes of Starbucks.
Once the Grande Dam of boulevards
Sadly it’s unique charm won’t remain.
You can bet your bottom dollar
They’ll bring in more national chains.
We might as well call it Biscayne Canyon
Encased by an east and west wall.
I guess some day a bright city planner
Could build a roof and we’d have Biscayne Mall.
®Peter Confalone
I think the trademark symbol is over the top… and a case of wishful thinking.