Concrete freeway poured over
the old Santa Fe Trail,
still the easy route over the Rockies.
Here at the foot of Raton Pass
wagon trains would stop and rest
before going over the hill.
The town grew and the merchants
were pleased.
Later wagons and Model Ts went up Commercial
and west on Main street and
up Country Club Drive.
Finally through Uncle Dick's Toll road.
And still the merchants were pleased.
Tourist traffic was slowed by crooked brick street
and the signal light.
So the new freeway went around the business
district and right over the town.
Then the merchants were no longer happy.
Now the new new freeway
has bypassed the town
and there are too few merchants
to much care.
Some towns are too important to be bothered
by traffic routed through their business district.
But some towns are not important enough to
have such traffic.
Take your choice about my home town
but now the tourists need never know
there is a town.
Because there is now
a bypass for a bypassed town.
Perhaps every 100 years the bypass
will shut down for a day to let
those in out and those out in.
And for one day the merchants
will be happy again