Neighborhood Magic
An essay with poems by Carron Little from a project and publication on a history of Chicago’s Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods produced as part of an artist residency with the Beverly Art Walk.
A Poem for Sue Delves
A Women’s Work is in the Garden of General Life
Planted in a garden
In petals she grew
Dressed in white woodruff
Draped in lace and honey bees
A living flora etched in the fragility of life
With Dutch dolls holding peacocks
Spinning a tune
Lilies became boats, singing long notes
Water reflected nature’s paintings
Decorating dinning tables
With fresh greens and General Life
The Wisteria grew all the stories she knew
Travelling the world
With a map and compass and the worldly tools she grew.
A caring companion
The watchmaker made history
Building machines documenting in digits
Larger than Alice in Wonderland’s wardrobe
The world’s first industrial computer
A tick-tocking machine, launched a career
Posting payroll off on time
The clock chimed with orchids
The bird sang in Athens
Where Zeus was born
The minotaur escaped the last race
A hike up the Rockies
In blue furs and lace
Melting glaciers dating back to Laramide orogeny.
The first words exchanged
“Would you like mashed potatoes?”
The potatoes took root
Winning the last race
The clock sang on time
Floating on continents from Athens to Washington
Hiking through a corporate culture.
A myriad of flora filled the halls
A garden for the future inspired the culture
Packaging knowledge and bringing it home
Installed in the Smithsonian collection
Soil in art, water in BAPA
An architect of nature,
An original town planner.