Semi-fiction?
The town where I grew up was filled with spirit-homes, shrines, sculpture.
Here, the path of the rivers that surround us shown in miniature on the sidewalk, reminding us how small we are.
There, a coyote silhouette, who could hide among the real ones when they wander through at night.
Elsewhere, wind plays in spinning spirals of colored metal, the invisible made visible.
Nature and history were invited in, twined through our streets, as we made our homes uneasily among them.
Semi-fiction?
The city where I live now has sculpture too. Inspiring curves and imposing angles of metal stand in front of offices and retail complexes, inviting the spirits of the city to make their homes there.
Of course they come, new-wrought urban spirits, sleek and shiny and ready to be looked at. But all they show us is more of the same.
“This place is new and exciting and up-to-date! Come see, come see!"
I long to see them rust, just a bit, showing that nature works its ways here too.
@indi That Pea Patch garden down near Thornton Place, with the wind sculptures and the labyrinth, feels a bit like the place you describe in the first post. :-)
@emanate It does have wind-sculptures, that did occur to me after posting it. :) That's one of the places I was thinking of specifically, along with the creek sculptures across the street from it, which are very much a good example of the more land-centric stuff I was describing in the first part.
@indi Yeah, and the creek reclamation and rehabilitation part of that too.
Re: City spirit-homes: I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't give a nod toward some of the GOOD sculpture around the city here. Nature-oriented, community-orient.
Maybe I'll post some pics someday if the sun ever comes out again. ;)