Still Life

 

You can see it from the freeway if you look off to the right. I see it every day as I pass, and I find it sad.  I’m sure it was quite something in its day.  It always seemed such an impressive factory, stretching on and on for city blocks.

For years now it has sat dark.  It is dark and still and quiet, full of broken windows and crushed dreams.  No longer are there timeclocks on the walls, or monstrous machines stamping out bits of new cars.

No more front offices stuffed with grumpy management types wearing choking ties and pinching shoes. 

Silent are the screaming factory whistles yelling lunch time is over and why aren’t you back at your workstation?

Hanging over the vacant aisles, where speeding forklifts once carried heavy loads, are the metal signs, warning – alerting, and reminding that safety is everyone's business.

I heard a rumor once that at the end there, where those two unbroken windows are, is where they added the new car smell.

I'm sure now having only a slight hint of fragrance that you can’t quite place.  

Could be it’s just the dust.