"Up River, Biron Drive"

In Thursday's "GO" section of the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune a poem appeared by Verna Jepson.

The poem offers her opinion on the possible fate of the up river, Biron drive area.

You can read the poem HERE (Daily Tribune website) or HERE (Google Cached version of Daily Tribune page).

Update: Republished here with the author's permission.

A plea to save "Up River, Biron Drive"

When you "speed" up Highway U,
Stop for a minute and listen -- you
don't need to stop for long.
And you'll hear some birds calling
or chirping -- or maybe a chorus
of frogs singing their song.
It's early in the morning;
the sun is just above the trees.
The river is like a mirror;
a fish jumps and leaves an
ever-widening wake.
Shhhh -- look, there's a deer
with a fawn crossing the road --
to the river -- to drink.
The tall grass is moving
around a dead, fallen tree.
There are some tiny bunnies
frolicking near their nest --
one, two, three!
See those scrub bushes
along the roadside?
Those crooked branches on
those short brushy trees?
That's a pin cherry tree and
a hickory nut bush and a June berry
bush -- upon which the birds,
squirrels and chipmunks feed.
Don't drain that swamp!
Don't close that road!
Down under those reeds
with arrowhead leaves are tiny
tadpoles and crustaceans
upon which the great blue herons feed.
Fill in the marsh, bring it up
to road level?
You'll only cover the marsh marigolds,
purple iris and the red-winged blackbirds'
nest in that clump of cattails.
Along the roadside grows
the purple milkweeds which
we consider noxious weeds --
But this is where the Monarch
butterfly lays its eggs -- on the
back of the milkweed leaves.
We must keep some areas
as they are --
We must protect our
beautiful habitat.
Some places are not meant
for people to live,
They are God's creations
and should be protected for
everyone, just to look at.
Please save the road we call --
"Up River Biron Drive."

Verna Jepson
Wisconsin Rapids