[Esther Murer]

This morning's Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the state of New Jersey may rename highway rest stops after corporations instead of prominent New Jerseyans. Among the casualties would be Walt Whitman and Joyce Kilmer. Other New Jersey poets include WCW and Allen Ginsburg. For a fuller list, go here:
http://www.poets.org/state.php/varState/NJ

I'm not sure I'm clever enough for this, but how would a corporation rewrite a poem by (or in the style of) WW, WCW, etc.? Anybody want to try?

Of course this may presage a larger trend, so you don't have to restrict yourselves to New Jersey.

Esther

[Roger Slater]

That's a shame. But I don't think WCW or Ginsburg have rest stops named after them. And many of the rest stops are not named after poets. There's a Vince Lombardi stop, for example, and a Clara Barton.

[Tony Barnstone]

This Is Just to Say


I have renamed
the rest stops that line
the freeway
for corporations

though I know
you were probably
saving them to be
named after poets

Forgive me, but
according to the high court
corporations
are people these days

[W.F. Lantry]

I think that I shall never see
a reststop that's named after me.

a reststop where the weary pause
to buy a bagel or fresh gauze

to wrap the wounds that brothers gave
in backseat rukuses, when they've

grown bored with counting cars all day
or gotten sick on chick-fil-a.

Rest stops are made by New Jersey
I wish they'd name one after me.

[Jan D. Hodge]

Whose stops these are I’m proud to know,
But what’s this threat to the status quo?
Will they no longer laud the bards
we think were loved once long ago?

Now we’re facing state regards
for those who gave us debit cards
and mortgages we cannot pay
and hackneyed TV ad canards.

I’ll need to stop along the way
Or have an accident, I may.
Those far too many cups of joe
will beg me: please, no more delay.

I guess I’ll have to hold it, though.
I'll have no truck with Inc. and Co.,
And drive for miles before I go,
And drive for miles before I go.

[Janice D. Soderling]

You guys are brilliant! Absolutely brilliant.

[David Anthony]

Rep’s Rondeaubout

Traffic jams are so much fun—
better far than boring meetings.
Get the week’s expense claim done!
Phone a friend with cheery greetings!
Never worry when you’re late—
fast lane life won’t take you far.
Some things are in league with fate—
traffic jams are.

(after Leigh Hunt)