Odium To A Cell Tower Tree
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- July
- 27
Sunday’s column will be about the “Seven Wonders” Of Westchester and Putnam counties. In it, I refer to one of those wonders—the cell tower on the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Harrison-White Plains area that was disguised as a supposedly visually pleasing pine tree.
G. Keene of Pound Ridge reminded me that another silly “pine” exists in Pound Ridge. Keene wrote a poem about it.
And here it is in full, with apologies to Joyce Kilmer.
I think I shall never see
A cell tow’r lovely as a tree.
Today I spied a pseudo-pine
Its trunk a weird, faux-bark spine.
It rises over yonder hill
Bedecked in man-made chlorphyll.
Piercing through the azure sky,
It menaces all things that fly.
Would eagles on demented whim
Alight on manufactured limb?
Small airplanes, I would strongly bet,
Might be impaled en brochette.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But (apparently) Verizon thinks it can make a tree!
This entry was posted
on Friday, July 27th, 2007 at 7:35 pm by Phil Reisman.
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Phil Reisman is a veteran journalist and native of Westchester County. He began his career in 1977 as the head copy boy of a startup New York City newspaper that quickly went belly up. Reisman was not to blame for the newspaper's failure, or so he claims.
Damn, you are good!
Great poem Phil. Is it too late to nominate Indian Point as a write-in candidate? It’s certainly a WONDER why they built it in the first place and it’s certainly a WONDER why they can’t close it down. Please let me know. I don’t want to hang any chads or anything.
The balancing rock in Bedford , although no Stonehenge, would get my vote from the list you presented. But in my book it pales in comparison to the split rock in Pelham. Situated between the Hutch and 95, this rock served as a place of ambush for troops covering the retreat of GW from Manhattan during the revolution. Saint Paul’s church in Mount Vernon, which also served as a hospital for the wounded of this battle could also be considered one of the seven wonders. The cemetery their is the final resting place for soldiers from every war from the revolution to World War Two. And what about the Pell cemetery in Mamaroneck, situated between million dollar homes and million dollar yachts, this graveyard contains members of the Pell family dating back to the 1600’s, they are probably turning over in their graves Mamaroneck is also home to another possible seven wonders, Walter’s. Who does not love Walter’s,. stuck up girls, great hot dogs, great mustard and don’t even think of ordering your fries at the hot dog window, that’s a Walter’s no no.
In the oddities department what about the tower on Weaver Street just before Quaker Ridge Road, what the heck is that. Or the stone tower in Scarsdale on Cushman Rd., that is in everyone’s back yard. What purpose does that serve. I also have a soft spot for the fire tower at Pound Ridge Reservation. This tower collapsed years ago but it gave you by far the best view in the county. Hiking up that trail and ascending that tower was a Westchester treat for sure. It would be nice if it were resurrected.
Forgot to mention one more possible seven wonders, the dog. Rockefeller had a statue erected on his estate of a dog, it must have been a favorite family pet. At one time you could go into the park on a trail just before the church on 448, about a half mile in a statue and a plack was erected in honor of this dog. That trail is no longer accessible, but I always got a kick running by it.
Indian Point.? Hmmm….I think it’s too political for such a light-hearted list.
The tower on Weaver Street…I know that thing. Not a bad one! It is eccentric, for sure.
Didn’t see the dog statue when I was at Kykuit…though the guide showed me the stains on the rug, the result of the numerous Rockefeller dogs. This surprised me.
Okay Phil, scratch Indian Point.