In these trying economic times, we do have positive things to look forward to. The signs are around, everywhere, although I didn't notice this one until a friend pointed it out. It was last summer, around the time of the State Fair, and I was driving along 690 with a friend from Binghamton. He said, "Every time I'm in Syracuse, I see a lot of these construction cranes."

And I'm thinking, "Is this a derogatory remark he's making, about Syracuse having a lot of construction?"

It took me aback. So I thought about it. And the response I came up with was, "Yeah, that shows progress." What else could it be? And that was the germ of the whole poem.