Part One.

Part Two.

Part Three.

 

As Art slowly stopped moving,
The city kept,
ever expanding.
And city mansions over grew
Tenement halls,
They rolled over offices
And the walls would come down
And new high-rises would come up

The man Art, well no one could see him anymore,he might as well have
never existed
to the people he would help during his grueling day shift, up the elevator lifts.

But the city! The city that Art created!
Expanded so far and so wide!
Basically multiplying
as intellect
increased
there was a peace of mind building within the people
of the city! The city that Art grew, fostered, nurtured….

But one day Art, became weak Art sank to his knees
And eventually the city swallowed him completely,
And there the city expanded over the Land Art walked on, as a man…
Till eventually the man with a city on his back,
Could no longer stand
at all.
And the city kept expanding, and more land was being
Taken, more land was consumed,
The oil was produced,
And as Art cried out in agony,
The man with the city on his back, simply ceased to be.

But Art existed, in the lakes and the streams,
And the city streetlights, that electric vibe,
The city grew faster, and larger, and where Art was,
The city grew smarter,
Because the people who knew Art loved Art
Because Art was what made the city breathe.
Gave life to the city, and ended wars on the city streets
Where people who just wanted the resources, no one would mourn him too long
But Art….made the city
strong.
Art asked a lot of the city, that he brought to life,
And I guess that’s what the seers saw, but never took Art’s sight.
Cause Art, was once a man, but once he was gone
He became the legend, and his legend lives on….
Because once a man, named Art with a city on his back
Living in the flats, and helping rich cats with their bags
Up those high rises, that reached the sky.

Art was a nobody, until Art died.

And what Art left was cities, and forests
And trees, and factories, and spray-painted galleries
Of oceans and seas, and expressions, like
“Art made me, Art saved me”
On teeshirts, and hoodies.
Art the man with a city on his back, became the muse,
The whole world flew for….and those on his back never did know….and still don’t
the legend of Art, the City and the Elevator Dream.
It was only the ones,
Left long ago….who know.

We live because of Art.
The algorithm of mankind
Started on one man’s shoulder

But though this is part 4, and yes story time is over…

Those who don’t know that’s how this whole thing begun….
Art.
Listen to the music man, you’ll understand
Art moved, breathed and the city grew.
Art grew me. Art grew you.

And that’s what Art was
meant to do.

Does Art’s heart still beat inside of you?

 

Jason Wright is the founder and Editor of Oddball Magazine. Man the Storm is his alter ego. His “Jagged Thoughts” column appears weekly. He is an awesome, awesome poet.