Atlanta Pride

Atlanta Pride

This well known southern city.
Wasn’t always so sleek and pretty.
Our streets were former cow paths,
A quaint visual and little known fact.

We started as a trading post.
“Standing Peach Tree” for Indian folks.
Then “Whitehall” for white pioneers.
A pit stop to further mountain frontiers.

Trains became the next step.
End of line was called Terminus.
Rail Sheds, saloons formed a town,
a proper name then must be found.

Marthasville, it was christened,
daughter of a General Manager,
of Western and Atlantic Railroad.
So in her honor, the town was bestowed.

Atlanta was the final name,
J. Edgar Thompson made the claim.
An engineer for the "Iron Horse".
Trains, our historic travel source.

Atlanta is known by many milestones,
Burned by Sherman, rebuilt for future folks.
Out of flames, Phoenix rising, an ambitious fate.
Our motto became “the city too busy to hate”.

We survived segregation’s shame.
Maynard Jackson, our 1st black mayor claimed.
African American businesses flourished.
Hank Aaron gave us Braves baseball fame.

!996 US Olympics, Amb. & Mayor Andrew Young.
Home to Rich’s, Coca-Cola, thanks Mr. Pemberton.
Emory, Georgia Tech, Morehouse, Spellman.
Martin Luther King Jr., President Jimmy Carter.

I grew up here, went to college, made it my home.
My children born here are proudly Atlanta bred.
Our family’s touchstone, as I lay my head.
Beneath fragrant pines, magnolias, lovely azalea beds.

Coming home from many lonely flights.
She beckons, thousands of flickering lights.
Atlanta, city of different colors and creeds.
Together, we stride forward to succeed.


By Kathie Stehr
August 12, 2021
40 lines