Tuesday, December 6
The Little Clump of Woods
The men in the yellow vests keep coming back to the little clump of woods. They come at different times on different days throughout the week. The men come on four-wheel-drive karts and in pickup trucks and in panel vans. They have orange lights on their vehicles that flash; “Men Working Ahead!” The men come to the little clump of woods carrying GPS units and hammers and clipboards. They measure, look up, and then measure again. The men talk on cell phones as they point, and they tie little pink ribbons on big wooden stakes.
The men first started coming around earlier this summer, just after Willie and Hillbilly got hauled off to jail for drinking in the little clump of woods. ‘John Q. Public’ called PoPoe on his Cell Pho’ (911). The ol’ boys got rousted and had to spend an entire weekend in jail before they could see a judge. Apparently, the judge was furious about how these two retired veterans were treated. Willie and Hillbilly were ordered to be released immediately, the judge even sent letters of apology to the two. Still, right after that, the men in the yellow vests started coming down to the little clump of woods. And now, there seems to be no end to them.
The little clump of woods is in an area where the University wants to build a new stadium. Next year, the University plans to host a major tennis tournament near the little clump of woods; new tennis courts have already been built. Future plans call for a transit express way – complete with pedestrian trails – to run through, over, and in between the little clump of woods. Now, the little clump of woods has got to go.
For as long as I can remember, the little clump of woods has been a ‘last refuge’ for the homeless. It was one of those out-of-sight, out-of-wind places to gather for a meal around a fire. I remember ten years ago when the University started to clean up jungles (tramp camps) in the area. The war cry then was, “Get the garden first, or they’ll come back to eat!”
I think that taking away the little clump of woods where the homeless gather for fellowship is a part of somebody’s Ten Year Plan to end homelessness in the community. A Ten Year Plan is a never-ending battle – like a war that is harder to get out of than it was to start – like a war whose casualties are innocent, whose victims wear the uniform of the homeless.
Kelly
¶ 9:00 PM
