First, there was a deer track
to a creek running fresh water
for deer, fish, and birds
and beavers and wildlife.
Then it became a cowpath
to move cattle to market.
Next, it became a rutty dirt road
leading people with
mules and wagons to the market.
Soon, it was surfaced
with asphalt and a bridge
was built over the creek,
so cars and trucks
could get to the market.
After a while, the road
started to wear out.
So it was repaved
and as it wore out again
it was again repaved.
Some years went by
but no one wanted to pay
to take care of the road anymore
So when the rain came
water seeped into worn cracks
and the snow and ice
froze and thawed
thawed and froze
so the cracks got worse
then bumpety-bump,
wheels broke this piece
and that chunk
until whump, whumpety, bang!
A tire broke in a huge pothole
So the pothole was patched
with asphalt
and the freezing and thawing
and thawing and freezing
made a new pothole
on the old pothole patch
but people stopped caring
about fixing the road
and it began to crumble.
Years went by
and no one used the old jagged
crumbly asphalt and dirt road
Instead, people made
a bigger road a mile or so away.
The old road grew grasses
from seeds blown across it
and pretty soon, it was hidden
among grasses and bushes,
even a tree grew
where the pothole had been,
The deer found their way
among the weeds and asphalt crumbles
to get to the water in the creek
where the sagging, broken bridge
helped the beavers
to make a new dam
for their home
where the fish swim
and the birds and deer and wildlife
drink water.
JM 2026-06-25
