Closed Forever

Slowly decaying and being reclaimed by Earth - this victim of time haunts us with what neglected nostalgia must look like.
 
 
An abandoned drive in movie theater should be as egregious as the skeletal remains of an amusement park.
 
 
“Closed Forever” appears now posted on the same marquee that once announced each week's blockbuster. It stands there like a medieval gibbet as a reminder of an era fewer and fewer people even remember anymore (post Iphone).
 
 
The alphabet that once scribed which Hollywood A lister was being featured now serves NO earthly purpose except to spell out “the end” as if our theater were a book.
 
 
How many times must've the name “Tom Hanks” appeared under that peeling sad lookin' totem pole?
 
 
“Madonna”?
 
 
How much money do you think this specific address in Marysville, Washington put in Harvey Weinstein's pocket personally?
 
 
How about Bill Cosby?
 
 
Do you think they ever ran out of those little black letters?
 
 
Have they ever lost or damaged any of the little black letters?
 
 
Did they ever have to replace those little black letters, or was one box enough for its entire existence of broadcasting words?
 
 
Has that box of little black letters ever spilled?
 
 
How many swear words do you think were brought forth in its history of sign maintenance?
 
 
Do you think the lady or gentleman who OWNED this business had any sort of a sense of humor?
 
 
These are questions I know we're not getting answered, but I argue are solid.
 
 
Oh ! In 1996? How well do you think that ONE scene in Twister would have been received HERE when the tornado rips through the drive in theater in the MOVIE?
 
 
1993 and '94 has to be about the most influential cinematic season of my life. You had Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction all released in the span of about a year and a quarter?
 
 
How well were we doing THEN; back when effects were practical?
 
 
Do you think very many kids hid in car trunks to get in for free?
 
 
The gates (not pictured) I imagine being somehow erect - rustier than the metal on our totem pole crowned marquee centerpiece???
 
 
Now; once upon a time?! It would have been the threshold to a whole new universe. For generations of time and people - cars, pickup trucks, camper vans and I'm guessing a piece of farm equipment or two would filter in from that choke point hunker down on the lawn just to stare at the giant blank billboard and to wait for dark.
 
 
No one pays attention to those gates NOW though?
 
 
The weather's obviously not done torturing that screen off to our left?
 
 
If canvas could talk!
 
 
There's no memory of what all's been projected onto its rapidly tarnishing skin from back in its heyday.
 
 
I wonder how many grisly murder scenes its depicted?
 
 
How many times it would have made me genuinely laugh and almost wet myself?
 
 
How many sex scenes?
 
 
How many jump scares?
 
 
Did Anthony Hopkins ever appear in a straight jacket wearing his “I Bite People” mask??? Or was that shown somewhere else?
 
 
Who all (do you think) were conceived beyond that rusted gate? We know plenty had to have gotten lucky.
 
 
The debris field marks the perimeter as it sets the new mood under such melancholy gray skies. The potholes hold still a little water in them suggesting rain in the short term memory? Rest assured that those angels are still balling their eyes out over the loss of this piece of history.