Chilhowee park:1913 National Conservation Exposition

Golden lights danced on the waters black
electrifying the night,
shadows consumed one hundred and two years and counting.
i'd hoped the legacy would have been brighter today than it was then.

conservation rolling steep in the hills and grand staircases that stood
boasting corsets curves,
accident insurance,
and Booker T. Washington speeches.

amusement ate my heart out
then carried it over the timeless lake, down past the dirt roads.
sun umbrellas shielded the fair skin,
suitcases went hand in hand
with men's derby hats.

life was black and white,
everyone got dressed up to go places
custom tailored suits & ties,
pretty Silk Flat Crepe Dresses and heels.

segregation and Jim Crow laws were just starting to be cut down.
Catherine Wiley judged the fine art competition,
shes buried just over in the Old grey cemetery;
southern Appalachia spilled water colors.

they blew up mock coal mines,
tamed elephants entertained,
Mozelle of the Mist made a spectacle to behold.
thank god for Knoxville’s marble industry or else we wouldn't even have the band stand.

i love the taste of history in a photograph.