Old Man Vic

We lost a good man
When Old Man Vic
Decided to head back east
Attend to family business
Sell this bookstore to Lucius
A young man whom Vic
Introduced to everyone as
A close family friend
'Nuff said

Looking out over the neighborhood merchants
And customers gathered now in his store
Not so much to buy books and magazines
Because Lucius had decided to close the registers
Just for this one-hour social
Rather just to say goodbye
And hello
On the first Saturday afternoon in October
After the Huskies game
Before everyone's evening parties and family suppers
Would pull the audience here and there

"We lost a good man
When Old Man Vic
Decided to go east"
Lucius repeated his opening address
As if reading from a ballad
From one of Vic's and his favorite books of free verse
Legendary and long
The kind this bookstore specialized in
His journey all through college had informed him
That this situation even if it were the 21st Century
And not in the time of chivalry folk tales and couplets
That this situation truly called for
Just such an address
It would be his introduction to his neighborhood
As Vic's successor as owner of the store
And an insight into
His way of conducting business
Formal yet friendly

"We lost a good man
When Old Man Vic
Decided to go east"
Lucious picked up the pace now
Clearly making his third repeat of the same words
Mean something different
And used the opening not so much for meaning
As for pacing
Rhythm
"And he left this store this space this room
To me of all peoplea humble servant
A relative newcomer to his neighborhood"

In facr he had been a stranger just two months ago

"But then that first month, Vic quietly patiently
In his own sweet way his style
Walked me through everything I would need to know
About the business about ordering and re-stocking
But more importanly he personally introduced me
To all of you folks his dear friends
His other children he'd call you
Other than his books
His nutrition he once said
As we were passing
The "Zen and the Art of Cooking" book
Up on the shelf back in the corner over there
And for that month I watched his eyes
As much as I listened to his voice
How they would light up
Go aglow
But look slightly different
For each one"

"You were individuals you were people not customers
He was teaching he clearly said in his mannerisms
He was mentoring
Guiding steady customers through reading lists
As if you were prep school students
You know it's true
Many of you are nodding your heads am I right
Getting to know your habits he was
Encouraging diversity."

"We lost a good man
When Old Man Vic
Decided to head back east"
Lucius knew he'd have to get to his point now
His young career as their apprentice
Was about to begin now
He measured out his words cautiously

"I could never replace Old Man Vic
That was what I told him when we first met
When first I arrive in Seattle by bus
When first I answered his letter
When first my aunt told me
That her long lost friend from college
She called him practically family
A legend by his absence
A Ph.D. college professor
A gifted man of letters
Would be returning to Albany
To take care of a very dear friend
And needed someone to take over his store

"And in his kindness I was humbled to learn
That he had been following my progress through school
My aunt must have kept him current
Through St. Joseph's High School and Holy Cross and Rutgers grad school
And that he wanted me to take his place
Here behind the counter
Here on this street
Here among this neighborhood district of stores
Here among these friends of his
His books
Truly
Verily as the high priests would say
We lost a good man
When Old Man Vic
Decided to head back east"

"During the past month
Especially during those first days
When I was all alone
Swamped by all the work
Never having been a shopkeeper
A businessman
Really never having been anything other than a student
I remembered everything that he had told me
Especially the part about letting the situation come to me
And listening long and close before venturing out
Reaching out in measured almost symbolic gestures
To find a way to announmce my arrival
To ask your patience and support
To never ever hope
Nor appear to ever think
That I could replace Old Man Vic
Or even repeat exactly what he did
But rather to develop my own style
And then cultivate
Build a business
Based on my own personality."

"Well here goes Ladies and Gentlemen
I've gathered you here for this social hour
When the registers are stilled
And the cheese and wine are still abundant
To say thank you for the past month
You've made this situation so easy
You've been nothing but incredibly welcoming
You've been helpful in showing me the ropes
Even down to where to buy my milk
Where to get my shirts dry-cleaned
Where to go for the best sermons
What buses to take here and there
Where to go for the best salmon
And king crab
You've been great
I'll always try to do the same for you."

"So here goes
And how about them huskies
27-10 today
And it's a good day
A very good day
Don't you just love this season
We'll call it Sweater Weather Saturdays
Lots of hot coffee and warm lyrics
And for any of you who like to play guitar or sing
Maybe blow a blues harp
Open mike over by the best sellers
From now on every Saturday afternoon if the game is early
A post game hour
And if the game's late
How about Saturday morning pre-game
All sunny and bright
Even when it's wet and cold outside
Verses to wake up to
Refrains to sing at the game"

"Anyway more about that later
I know I'm trying too hard
But that's the way it ought to be at first
Don't you think
Yeah, we lost a good man
When Old Man Vic
Decided to head back east
May God keep him safe always
And now I've come west because of him
Thank you very much sir
Young Man Lucius you can call me
Pray to God for me
You've lost a good man,
And gained one back again"


For Sketches
Denis J. Kelly
April 17, 2012

Peter

Peter slowly drew out of the wood
The figure he sensed existed within
He had seen it as soon as he handled the block
As soon as he listened to the drive of the song
On the boom box on the shelf
Behind wise Mr. Chelmsford down at his market
A blues-inspired version of The American Anthem
Not Francis Scott Key
But Woody Guthrie
Being performed by a backwater Memphis house band
Slow and steady rather than fast and upbeat
Closer to the experience of people of color
More irony injected in a way that the author
Would have loved
His masterpiece being originally penned
As much in protest as in honor
Which to him meant it was truly reflective
Of the Great American Character

Peter sensed all this when he touched the wood
After coming home from Mr. Chelmford's
Couldn't be stopped as he reached for his tools
Started carving away shards and splinters
To reveal to recognize to liberate
The eagle living within
To uncage
The head and shoulders
The personality
The pride the valour the verve
The uncompromising adherence to standards
That was just waiting to be born
Hatched from the rectangle of Christ's wood
Its head cocked slightly to the left
As if listening trying to understand
Teaching a lesson scolding
Cajoling the young to join the flock
The army of the artisans of the talon
The flame of vision
Global in breadth
As if seen from the mountaintop.

Peter slowly drew out of the wood
The figure he sensed existed within
He had seen it as soon as he handled the block
As soon as he listened to the drive of the song
On the boom box on the shelf
Behind wise Mr. Chelmsford down at his market


For Sketches
Denis J. Kelly
April 4, 2012

Andrew

The church bell tolled four o'clock
And already Andrew had been out
On the porch overlooking Lake Washington
For hous and hours
Sitting listening hearing
Pouring his heart out to himself without really noticing
The number of hours nor the number of explanations
Trying to peel away the doubts the regrets
Of what had happened just because it happened
And not because of his own weakness
And not because of their contrasts and similarities
Which helped them remain together at times
And at other times drove them irrevocably apart

Until of course that day three months ago
When forever this dynamic would become frozen in time
Drawn by circumstance
A great opportunity a job a career
But living literally thousands of miles away
Drawn back to the town of their natural origin
Drawn back but not to be with him
Drawn back but to be away from him
And leaving him in a limbo space and time
Where he couldn't go home if he were to want to
And yet he knew eventually he could also not stay here
Its memories of their hopes together now dashed
Forever haunting the very look of the place

He was left on quiet Sunday afternoons like this one
When the church bells toll four o'clock
Already Andrew had been out
On the porch overlooking Lake Washington
For hours and hours
Sitting listening hearing
Pouring his heart our to himself without really noticing
The number of hours nor the number of explanations
Trying to peel away the doubts the regrets
Of what had happened just because it had happened


For Sketches
Denis J. Kelly
April 4, 2012