Some days are Sunny, others are a B*tch

BCOF April 7, 2022 History

April 7, 2022 BCOF

History:

Do you know the history of the town you live in?
I wrote the following poem for the Writer's Cramp. Don't think it won but it is short, accurate and sweet. I live in Acworth which is a part of metro Atlanta, near Kennesaw Mt. where the Civil War was fought. It is a lovely area with Lake Allatoona (110 mile shoreline), lots of trees and flowering bushes right now. A great temperature, not too low and usually not over 90 where we live. All four of our grown sons and families live in Georgia.

Atlanta Pride

This well known southern city.
Wasn’t always so sleek and pretty.
Our streets were former cow paths,
A quaint visual and little known fact.

We started as a trading post.
“Standing Peach Tree” for Indian folks.
Then “Whitehall” for white pioneers.
A pit stop to further mountain frontiers.

Trains became the next step.
End of line was called Terminus.
Rail Sheds, saloons formed a town,
a proper name then must be found.

Marthasville, it was christened,
daughter of a General Manager,
of Western and Atlantic Railroad.
So in her honor, the town was bestowed.

Atlanta was the final name,
J. Edgar Thompson made the claim.
An engineer for the "Iron Horse".
Trains, our historic travel source.

Atlanta is known by many milestones,
Burned by Sherman, rebuilt for future folks.
Out of flames, Phoenix rising, an ambitious fate.
Our motto became “the city too busy to hate”.

We survived segregation’s shame.
Maynard Jackson, our 1st black mayor claimed.
African American businesses flourished.
Hank Aaron gave us Braves baseball fame.

!996 US Olympics, Amb. & Mayor Andrew Young.
Home to Rich’s, Coca-Cola, thanks Mr. Pemberton.
Emory, Georgia Tech, Morehouse, Spellman.
Martin Luther King Jr., Tyler Perry, President Jimmy Carter.

I grew up here, went to college, made it my home.
My children born here are proudly Atlanta bred.
Our family’s touchstone, as I lay my head.
Beneath fragrant pines, magnolias, lovely azalea beds.

Coming home from many lonely flights.
She beckons, thousands of flickering lights.
Atlanta, city of different colors and creeds.
Together, we stride forward to succeed.


By Kathie Stehr
2021