Someone was timing it on the highway

Someone was timing it on the highway. One minute forty-two seconds.

The data center in Port Washington. A crane at an angle, crates hanging like fishing rods. A WALSH banner on the fence: Plan the work! Work the plan! Stay safe!

I read it in Jasmine Sun’s piece. She drove the Upper Midwest in summer. Wisconsin. Corn. Fireflies at night. The data centers land like a crashed spaceship. They are just greige.

Janesville has 250 empty acres. GM left and the land sat. The broker said it would either get a data center or stay a concrete slab forever.

Someone asked for the public records. The bill was $1,380. The meter read 67 decibels. Like a loud conversation.

Port Washington was having a festival. Fishgiving. The theme was Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Fish. An Elvis impersonator sang in front of a mural of the flag. Mayor Ted drove his own Honda and led the way. They asked what he would change. He braked, turned around. Nothing.