For those who remember Marshall and 1520 Shady Ave... I was rooting in the basement this weekend and came across this poem I wrote when he sold the house and moved to DC (early 1998, I think ): Spring 1998 All Pittsburgh is grieving ‘Cause Marshall is leaving (Have I mentioned that he sold my house?) All joy has expired Since Marshall retired (Have I mentioned that he sold my house?) There’s charities hurting Because Marshall’s deserting Have I mentioned that he sold my HOUSE!!? every brick every beam every window and screen every crack every chink every red marble sink every room that I love the slate roof high above every spot on the floor where I lay in the sunbeams and yawned .. Marshall pawned. But I am not bitter and I will not weep And I shall not whine or complain or lose sleep That the only place I’ve known as “home” was sold cheap Instead, I rejoice And I look to tomorrow When from 6 blocks away Comes my father to borrow A cup of my sugar Or a bottle of booze And like any good son I will put on my shoes And walk Marshall out Down the path from my door And point down the street And say “There is the store Perhaps you can BUY what you need, you old louse, With the proceeds you made off the sale of my house!” * * * But on the other hand… What the hell. My room was abandoned, The cherry tree fell And the sofas I sprawled on Were long thrown away And the art and the carpets – They didn’t convey And we’ll transfer the marks From the old closet door That show just how short we all were years before And we’ll start to re-root Like a repotted plant Cause a house can be sold But a memory can’t And in time we will have an old home once again Filled up with the trinkets and family and friends You’ll all be invited to join us down there For a Pearl Meister, 200-person affair And we’ll look ‘round the room At the reveling crowd And we’ll realize what’s not yet been spoken aloud That a church is not bricks – It’s the nuns and the abbots And our home is with Marshall Not the walls he inhabits So raise up your glass And be joyous with me That my home is not lost It’s just moved to D.C.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 13:24:15 +0000
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