Celebrating National Poetry Month

Readers of our print edition or those who simply enjoy Milledgeville City Council from the comfort of their own homes via the public access cable channel may have found out last night--as I did--that our City Manager Scott Wood is a lay poet.
Wood asked me to preface it before publication by saying that he calculated the value of the proposed FY2010 budget down to a daily cost of $2.84 for each of the city's 20,039 residents, less than the cost of a happy meal at Mickey D's.
Now with that said, here for your consideration is the poem Wood wrote in honor of the budget writing season:

IN CONCLUSION, IF THE CHAIR WILL ALLOW ME JUST ANOTHER MINUTE OR TWO OF TIME
I OFFER FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS SIMPLE BUT PERTINENT RHYME

SO PLEASE DON’T NOD OFF, OR I’M AFRAID THAT YOU MIGHT MISS
MY FEEBLE ATTEMPT AT POETRY, WHICH GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE SERVICES OUR CITY OFFERS EVERY DAY
IT’S SIMPLY DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THAT THERE’S ANY CONCEIVABLE WAY

THAT MANY OF OUR CITIZENS COULD EVER POSSIBLY SAY
THEY’D RATHER LIVE ANYWHERE ELSE THAN HERE IN MILLEDGEVILLE, G-A.

THE GOVERNING BODY, OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ARE ALWAYS FAITHFULLY HERE
DELIBERATING POLICY AND PASSING ORDINANCES ALL THROUGH THE YEAR

WITH TWO RICHARDS AND TWO KENS, AND WE DARE NOT FORGET
THERE’S STEVE AND DENISE, AND ALWAYS JEANETTE

AND WISE COUNSEL FROM JIMMY AND CEDRIC AND ALSO BOBBY BROWN
WHOSE ADVISE AND COMMON SENSE HAVE NOT ONCE LET US DOWN

OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS LIKE BARRY AND WOODY AND TOM AND JACK
DON AND MERVYN, WITH RUSSELL HELPING TAKE UP THE SLACK

AND OVER 200 EMPLOYEES, WORKING ENTHUSIASTICALLY TOGETHER
DESPITE LIMITED RESOURCES, CIRCUMSTANCES, OR INCLIMATE WEATHER

OUR FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE TRAINED AND EAGER TO ARRIVE
ON THE SCENE OF EVERY DANGER, PROTECTING OUR CITIZENS’ PROPERTY AND LIVES

OUR WATER QUALITY IS OUTSTANDING, ALWAYS AMONG THE VERY BEST
‘CAUSE EVERY YEAR WE MEET OR EXCEED A RIGID EPD TEST

WE PROTECT PROPERTY VALUES AND INVESTMENTS THROUGH ZONING LAWS AND CODES
THOUGH HOW TO MAKE 20,000 PEOPLE HAPPY ALL THE TIME ONLY HEAVEN KNOWS

OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT STRIVES THE PUBLIC TO PLEASE---OR AT LEAST APPEASE
BY CUTTING GRASS, REPAIRING STREETS, AND EVEN TRIMMING TREES

AND USED BY SEVERAL THOUSAND, AND OPEN EVERY DAY UNTIL DARK
ARE OUR TWO RECREATION ASSETS---BONNER AND HULEY PARK!

BUT WE HAVE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES, TOO, THAT PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE OR REMEMBER
THAT KEEP OUR CREWS REALLY STRETCHED OUT FROM JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER

SUCH AS TENDING TO THOUSANDS OF SPECIAL CITIZENS WHO NOW MAY LIE STILL
BUT WHOSE MEMORIES ARE ETERNALLY HONORED AT WESTSIDE, BONE, AND MEMORY HILL

AND LEST THAT SOUND LIKE JUST AN INSIGNIFICANT DRONE
WELL, THEN JUST TRY KEEPING THE GRASS TRIMMED AROUND OVER TEN THOUSAND HEADSTONES

PEOPLE DON’T SEEM TO REALIZE THE VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT COME AT US EVERY DAY
SUCH AS PROJECTS FOR THE INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY, MAIN STREET, OR THE OCONEE RIVER GREENWAY

OR HOW WE WORK WITH OTHER GROUPS, FROM THE COLLEGE TO THE COUNTY AND ALSO GMC
AND STATE AGENCIES SUCH AS CENTRAL STATE, THE PRISONS, AND OF COURSE THE DOT

WE SUPPORT THE LIBRARY AND ALLIED ARTS AND IF YOU CARE TO GO SEE ‘UM
THERE’S A WEALTH OF LOCAL ARTIFACTS IN THE OLD CAPITAL MUSEUM

SO IT’S REALLY HARD TO COMPREHEND OR EVEN UNDERSTAND
HOW WE COULD DO MORE THAN THIS ON A BUDGET ALREADY TIGHTER THAN DICK’S HATBAND

SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF CHANGES TO THIS BUDGET ARE SOMETHING YOU SIMPLY NEED TO MAKE
BE SURE THEY’RE BENEFICIAL AND NOT JUST CHANGES FOR CHANGES SAKE

AND THEY SERVE THE TRUE WELFARE OF OUR CITY AND EVERY TAXPAYER HERE
BECAUSE WE’LL ENDURE THEIR CONSEQUENCES FOR AT LEAST A ANOTHER YEAR


PLEASE DISCUSS AND DEBATE THEM FAIRLY, NOT DRIVEN BY POLITICAL FEAR
BECAUSE ALL OF US KNOW THE OBVIOUS….THAT THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR

SO AS I ACKNOWLEDGE THE APPARENT…THAT I’LL NEVER BE KNOWN FOR BREVITY
MAY I SINCERELY THANK YOU FOR TOLERATING THIS LITTLE BIT OF LEVITY


AND ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THESE DAYS, WHEN EVERYONE’S LOOKING FOR A DEAL
THAT WE SHOULD ALL REFLECT ON THIS BARGAIN THAT’S UNDENIABLY REAL

BECAUSE LIVING AMONG THE HISTORY AND BEAUTY OF THE CITY OF MILLEDGEVILLE
IS A BETTER DOLLAR VALUE…THAN EVEN A HAPPY MEAL!