The Two Oregons



                        THE TWO OREGONS

West of the Cascades-verdant, flowing, fertile, teeming
Settlers who clamored for a spot
A claim, some acreage, a vineyard, a plot
Fur traders, trappers, and missionaries beaming

West of the Cascades, and out to the sea
Thick with forest primeval
Views of the Pacific that are unbelievable
We flock to the coast in the 21st century

East of the Cascades- though arid and extreme, the rivers wind
Deer, elk, chukar, quail
Cold, heat, wind, hail
Twisting the occasional ponderosa pine

East of the Cascades-attracted a different sort of migrant
Cowboy, Rancher, Waggoneer, Basque
Each with a dream, a mission, a task
Worshipping, laboring, creative and vibrant

West of the Cascades-mindful of its footprint, a heart for ecology
All races, creeds, colors, orientations
Its people hail from every nation
A melting pot of technology

East of the Cascades-rugged, proud, traditional, swearing
That they are outnumbered, considering escaping
Desperate ideas about statehood reshaping
But no less charitable, altruistic, and caring

The Cascades-our beautiful, abundant, awe-inspiring spine
Peopled on both sides by those well-meaning yet extreme
Dotted with volcanic peaks, lakes, and streams
Let it serve-not to separate, but to combine

About this poem

28 lines of rhymed poetry, contrasting Oregon East and West of the Cascade Range

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Written on August 12, 2022

Submitted by rnadc on August 30, 2022

Modified on April 02, 2023

59 sec read
153

Quick analysis:

Scheme A BCCB ADDE XFFG HIIH EAXE BBBB GXAG
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,274
Words 198
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Russell Anderson

Russell Anderson-raised in a small, remote, California town. He is now living out his later years in small-town Oregon. Still gets "Verklempt" by a good, sad song, poem, or testimonial. more…

All Russell Anderson poems | Russell Anderson Books

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Discuss the poem "The Two Oregons" with the community...

5 Comments
  • dougb.72572
    This poem is a delightful dance. The lotus land people of the Coast and the striding, exhilarating pioneer spirit retained inland. You should read the novel entitled East if the Mountains by David Guterson…Douglas Blair 
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • Symmetry58
    This is far more than poetry, Russell. This right here is history. How beautifully you've painted a picture for me as I've never been fortune enough to have ventured, but briefly, into Oregonian city, street or outback. Dare I say, for my taste, this is a classical masterpiece. Brilliant writing top to bottom my friend. Thank you for offering us a piece of yourself and real estate. 
    LikeReply1 year ago
    • rnadc
      thanks so much, Symnetry58. That guy, "D", didn't much care for it. He is the 1st "poetry troll" I have run across.
      LikeReply 11 year ago
    • Symmetry58
      All in stride are seekers of attention like D. They're a lonely lot, that's for sure. LoL
      LikeReply1 year ago
  • WhyCantIUseMyOwnName
    It's categorized as "rhymed" but there are a lot of "almost rhyme" pairs in there. Like "primeval" and "unbelievable". NOT a rhyme, ya know. I get no "feeling" from this work at all, no more than from a grade-school book report. 
    LikeReply1 year ago
    • rnadc
      yeah, I didn't like it either.
      LikeReply 21 year ago
  • karlcfolkes
    So refreshingly, lyrically expressed, it should be set to music.
    LikeReply 11 year ago
  • teril
    I like this poem. Wonderful description and interesting rhyme form. You inspire me to visit the Cascade Range!
    LikeReply1 year ago
    • rnadc
      hey, Teri.
      Thanks so much for commenting on my poems. It means a lot.
      Russ
      LikeReply1 year ago

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"The Two Oregons" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/135018/the-two-oregons>.

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