[Newspoetry] A Newspoem of Two Cities

[Wendy Edwards]

Today, in the online 
<a href = "http://www.newsgazette.com/">  
News-Gazette</A>, 
<a href = "http://www.newsgazette.com/story.cfm?Number=9027">
Illini fans head for Texas</a>, 
candidates prepare for 
<a href = "http://www.newsgazette.com/story.cfm?Number=9029">
Urbana's general election</a>, 
and U of I plans an 
<a href = "http://www.newsgazette.com/story.cfm?Number=9030">
environmental conference</a>.
<p>
Meanwhile, in 
<a href = "http://www.sj-r.com">
my home town</a> (Springfield), 
<a href = "http://www.sj-r.com/news/Tuesday/a.htm">
vandals spray swastikas and racial epithets</a> 
on Lincoln statues, an area 
<a href = "http://www.sj-r.com/news/Tuesday/b.htm">
drunk driver kills three students</a> 
from Minnesota en route to Louisiana for volunteer 
community service work, and experts discuss 
<a href = "http://www.sj-r.com/news/Tuesday/c.htm">
two local boys who mauled a puppy</a> 
so badly that a police officer had to shoot it.
<p>
People complain about living in 
<a href =  "http://www.prairienet.org/online/">
Champaign-Urbana</a>, 
but I never understand why.