A little girl coming out of a Woolworth store.
An eye in my mind begins to clothe its sight
with a past image.
She has pink ribbons in her hair
and a blue dress,
maybe she had just come from church.
Little black child
being tugged quickly through
a disapproving, white-skinned crowd.
It is not wrong
to think of poets as painters.
We offer pictures
that can be in the now -
yet also out of time.
Today I pick up an artist's brush,
it's not my brush
for I can only finger paint
with digital ink - yet,
I complete an instant of time,
make it a portrait,
one found only yesterday
in an old photograph
tucked into a well-worn bible.
A bigot could have written this poem,
people change with the times,
and I?
I have just painted
what a racist once saw
that's all.
Categories:
woolworth, poetry,
Form: Free verse
Let's entertain no doubt. This book was ,
but birthdays come around, and must be feted.
Five brothers and one sister celebrated
each other's anniversaries. Close-knit
would hardly do us justice. When you fit
into the world around you, predicated
on shared assumptions, fine. I knew we grated
on all our neighbours, weren't identikit
buffoons. That drew us closer, you'll allow.
Each birthday, one same present overlapped.
We each got "Field and Hedgerow" (kids adapt
when they've got nothing). But I vow
I'd love to give that present, poorly-wrapped
in flimsy Woolworth paper, to them now.
Categories:
woolworth, nostalgia,
Form: Sonnet
The Symbolic Life
Nine years old
And picking candy
Off the shelf at Woolworth.
Two Tootsie rolls, and
A Rolo, then a bite off of
A wax bottle filled with sugar.
Forty nine years old,
And picking candy out of
My medicine bottle,
Two Oxycodones,
And a Morphine,
And bite off a Valium.
Categories:
woolworth, allusion, symbolism,
Form: Free verse
When we were young and lacked the coin
to buy enduring toys, the Woolworth store
defined the reach of acquisition,
filling up the breach of larger dreams
with flavored ice and scooter pies.
We consumed them while on the run
through the hot streets of Washington,
learning thus the rate of sweetness
and how rapidly it melts away.
At the flea market in Arlington
we saunter through the parking garage
and dispense the largess piled on age.
She soothes the ache of toys denied
with a pewter vase and a string
of Lapis from Afghanistan.
I use the hour to forage for
battered trains from before the war
when I could only watch the tin toys run
through the teasing window of the store.
Categories:
woolworth, age, autumn, desire,
Form: Rhyme
ye r so lucky tubby alive
cuz immediate family, friends, relatives
and now...this strange papa gives u high five
without asking anything in return -
since inspiration courses thru me
inducing thyself to strive
and/ or if when fate decrees,
thee will make an awesome counterpart
who this older papa bloke would envy
as ye possess inxs of strength to re:vive.
----------------------------------
blessing for sound health
upon waking every morning I offer
silent benediction for the ability
to revel with full faculty of this aging body
still going strong where ability sans,
enjoying the simple pleasures
available thru bodily senses
plus cavorting, flirting,
identifying simple pleasures
in my nonsensical mien "inner child"
Woolworth more than money can buy
yet of course if I did happen
to be a lucky lottery winner
could definitely relief anxiety and allow
me to breathe easy yet,
never do justice pitted against robust
body, mind and spirit triage.
Categories:
woolworth, 10th grade, 11th grade,
Form: Free verse
5 and 10, a quarter to nine
The shops opening up at downtown, Man
Must hurry up and hurry out
Get out of Woolworth, Brandis, Richman Gormans
With a dollar, I would by twenty dollars of merchandise in them days
And with 45 cents I would by at Safeway a pound rice
That was so nice
Goodwill's second hand stores so much so buy and believes in,
I would so much be achieving
Because I AM a...
BARGAIN BASEMENT SHOPPING DIVA
written by James Edward Lee Sr
From Celebrate: a Collection of Writings about Women
Categories:
woolworth, analogy, community, dedication, desire,
Form: Limerick
a deck of cards
a roll of dices
monopoly
you go to jail
an other chance
you hopscotch the streets
or should I say the side walk
as for ever you liked the games
of chance and scrabble
your brain to understand
the meaning of all
the avenue looks pretty good
from the stoops with your crayons
they come in boxes of your choosing
and you can melt the wax
making sure your carpet won't catch fire
as you wove it with wool from woolworth
and where are those stores
just a story and a web you are godiva
and ride the horse to amazon
the nile you left behind with papyrus
but trying to find where the roll begins
to wipe your ass is disconcerting
a smile and a grin for you to figure
Categories:
woolworth, kindergarten,
Form: Free verse
they came in three's
as my big brother
placed a wooden plank
splitting the rushing water
from the mouth of the fire hydrants
running throughout the city
peace signs covered
the corners as human
stop signs lined roosevelt road
twelve were present in thee upperoom
there was a round table of angst
i suppose as the ice cream man
quietly strolled down
st louis ave. sirens sounded
screams and wails abounded
bull horns rang out
in front of whoopies burgers
bystanders hid on broken porches
clinging to chain linked fences
my dad filled with courage uncertainty
my white dress covered in mud soot
from the grocery stores and goldblatts
being torched we huddled hunkered down
upon hess school not far from woolworth
across from douglas park
dandelions portrayed solace
granduar beneath weeping willows
voices were fabric patterns
sewed together creating quilts
maps of freedom a calm silenced grooved
while picket lines shall not be moved
Categories:
woolworth, black african american,
Form: Light Verse
DUMB KID
He knew he shouldn’t
The knife was right by the door
In the Woolworth store
His inner voice warned
“If you’re caught you’ll go to jail”
The thought made him pale
But he’d ne’er been caught
The knife just a pocket one
(Pocket it for fun)
Quick thought was careless
And he grabbed the little knife
Gulped – ran for dear life!
Out the Woolworth door
(Army of cops in pursuit
Store lady to boot)
And he ran and ran -
First time for childhood danger,
And nothing stranger
Every passerby a foe
Mother and home far away
Such an awful day!
A hot summer day,
The sidewalk cracks flashing by,
Tear drops in his eyes,
This breathless, cold sweat.
Ran till he could run no more
From that Woolworth store
Collapsed on a bench -
If he was caught, then, so what?
Made him think a lot
(Oh boy! That was close)
(Never would he steal again)
(“Thank you, God – Amen)
*Kind of Senryush.
Categories:
woolworth, childhood,
Form: Free verse
Red Chili
Peppers
Soaking in
Spiritual
Fermentation
Still
Resonating
In an old
Woolworth
Pickle jar
Categories:
woolworth, inspirational
Form: Free verse
The last days of summer sigh,
breathe out slowly.
Summer colors fade.
Mercurochrome leaves-
burnt orange and lemon yellow-
mimic the colors in my new wool sweater.
Liquid saffron autumn light
filtered through the trees,
remind me of other days
filled with envy.
Me in plain brown oxfords,
skirt not quite in style,
hand-me-down dresses,
coat from Woolworth.
Brown bag lunch.
Meat loaf sandwich.
Embarrassing milk in a pint jar,
lid screwed onto waxed paper.
Academic IQ..Honor Roll,
Social IQ: Dumb as a post.
I'm so shy, I'm speechless,
and just a little overweight.
While princesses in white buck Spauldings,
dyed-to-match sweater sets,
swish crinolines under grey poodle skirts,
flip their perfect page boy haircuts.
They meet in the cafeteria,
to dine on Jello and cottage cheese,
a dollop of mayonaise on top;
to discuss the latest fashion and
who is "going steady" with whom.
Categories:
woolworth, nostalgia, autumn,
Form: I do not know?