Weekly Poetry Challenge four

Ode to Asian Urban Alleys Weekly Challenge

Ode to Asian Urban Alleys Weekly Challenge

Most Asian Cities
Have been redeveloped.
Over the years.

Old neighborhoods replaced.
By soulless large apartment
and office towers.

With the quaint old alleyways
Disappearing into historical amnesia.

I call this “Gangnamization.”
After the Korean neighborhood
That symbolizes what is wrong.
With Korean and by extension
Asian Urban Redevelopment.

But here and there
The old alleyways manage.
To exist.

And in the new towns too
There are often low-rise service buildings.
That provides commercial and retail services.
In those residing or working
In the nearby apartments or office towers.

Recently Korea has embraced a multi-use philosophy.
And most newer buildings are a mixed bag.
Commercial/retail and residential buildings.

But the humble alleyway
Continues even in these new towns.
Urban re-development areas
in between the high-rise blocks

Long live the Korean alleyways!
The soul of Seoul!

ALLEY



Requirements:

Your poem should be inspired by the prompt word.

A minimum of 12 lines, no limit.