Poem

I left my life of recent drudgery

And got all glammed up

As close to glam as this “old” gal can remember

I took the day off even though I can’t afford it

I have a lunch date with a lawyer friend I used to know

To talk over old times and get some advice from a pro

You see, a bunch of developers are tearing our neighborhood down

Demolished six residential homes

And already broken ground for a 485-bed dorm

They got through a loophole I am told

Yeah, it’s beginning to sound pretty loopy to me

They bought the first house from an old lady and it burned to the ground

One of the next-door neighbors who had refused to sell

Got chased out by billows of black smoke

He then watched helplessly as his house got torched

Another house became completely engulfed in flames

Then the eyesores was left for all to see

Pressure! Pressure! What are we to do?  

The eyesore got to be too much and big money can talk a lot

Three other houses on the opposite end sold for a million each

But the big white house still prevailed

She stood tall and proud among the debris

She withstood the noise of the demolition trucks

The enticement of big, big bucks

The ground was leveled all around where her friends use to be

And still she stood – the great white knight

The developers were patient though

They came back time and time again

“Do you really want to be here when this big business venture comes?”

Finally they broke her down

One day the demolition trucks returned

As we watched the great white knight get torn down

Frame by frame her beautiful structure fell to the ground

The attic’s ledge where the finches used to be

And where the occasional blue jays and robins sang on

Were now under the dumpster’s wheels. 

I gave him a big hug and walked inside the restaurant

The ambiance was nice and the lighting was very flattering

We complimented each other and shared some laughs

Then the conversation turned as I spoke of my new home

“Those bastards” – Jerry was pretty mad

“A 485-bed dorm in your front yard?”

“Isn’t St. John’s supposed to be a faith based institution?”

They had to have assigned those developers long before to get that land

You got to put pressure on the politicians – can’t let this happen.”

My soup was too spicy

And the halibut was too dry

But I knew that it was a new place just trying to get by

The waiter asked, “How is everything?”

“Just fine,” I answered and smiled

Jerry and I parted ways and promised to see each other before Christmas

Promises, promises – this one I hope to keep

My smile widen as I rode the subway back home

God, I love this town

I picked up my son and walked through our quiet tree lined streets

Until we came to the monster hole in the ground where the six houses used to be

We stopped in front of the fenced linked gate and stared

I clasped my baby’s tiny hands in mine and prayed

Dear Father Harrington of St. John’s University,

Please loosen up your white collar and let your conscience breathe

How could you do this to innocent people just trying to get by in this life?

Loosen up your white collar and let your conscience breathe

A man dressed in your attire shouldn’t be cloaked in secrecy and greed

Let your conscience breathe – let your conscience breathe

As we neared our home I caught sight of a poster on a pole

My eyes couldn’t move from the crime statistics committed on their campus

And wasn’t one of their students just running around their campus with a machine gun?

We raced up the stairs,

I didn’t want to read anymore.

The evening went by in a blur

I dimmed the lights and we got ready for a bedtime story

I held the hard cover book in my hand and turned the page

To a bright yellow Sun in the sky

“Thank you God for the Sunshine that makes the trees grow”

We thanked God for all our gifts as we closed the page on

The stars and the moon in the sky saying goodnight

My son’s eyes were getting heavy and he started to yawn,

“Where’s my daddy, mom?”

“He will be home soon my love.”

“He’s working?”

“Yes, my love, dad’s working late.”

It hasn’t been easy since we bought this new place

I laid next to my baby boy and stroked his beautiful dark hair

His innocence was overwhelming

I looked around his room and smiled

We worked relentlessly to get it ready

His stuffed toys lined one shelf

Where Superman and Spiderman stood ready for action

I continued to lie next to him although there was tons of work to do

My mind strayed once again

How could you? How could you?

Dear Father Harrington,

We worked so hard to secure this home – our whole life’s savings and then some

Dear Father Harrington,

Please loosen your white collar and let your conscience breathe

A man cloaked in your attire shouldn’t be of secrecy and greed

Let your conscience breathe – let your conscience breathe…