Alleghenies Poems | Examples

Pittsburgh Rain

Working ethic.
          steel ethnic.
Pittsburgh in the rain
like metal canisters.

The grain of the Alleghenies.
Old labor's hand sings your
dark iron tones.

Sadlowsky galvanized stainless,
your student of struggle.

Inhale the cloudy wind
of Homestead;
Time rocks militant
behind screen doors.
Wise,
it climbs heavy
your steep grades.
It talks sternly
from the flickering caverns
of your mill.

See a tale of clouds
over West Pennsylvania.
Coal-dusty miners and
company towns.

Back in forgotten hills
where Hapgood organized.
Families homeless,
blacklunged and poor,
they won their unions.

Pittsburgh in the rain;
Tall tree-crests darkly
shine.
Sidewalks torn like your
tireless parade of eyes.

Your children are ripe,
your dreams reliable.


Published Black Buzzard Press - 1982