May 28, 2007
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My Pittsburgh
After a couple weeks in Michigan helping out the family, its nice to be back. Dad will need to spend a little time in a nursing home as he continues to recover from his broken hip. My foot is doing well, and I’m able to put some weight on it and toddle around the house so long as I don’t overdo it.
Pittsburgh really has become home after all these years. I felt somewhat estranged from my hometown of Bath, Michigan. We’ve outgrown each other. Here is a poem I wrote after coming home.
Birthing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has been pulled from the rivers,
carved from the forests and Appalachian foothills
until her eyes arose from the windows
of steel mills and coal mines,
until her arms pushed through the mountainside
with concrete tunnels and bridges.Pittsburgh has been pulled from the rivers,
her hair tangled with hope and opportunity
as the sons of Europe come to take a bride
and fill her fertile womb with the neighborhoods
of Italians, Poles, Slovaks, and Africans
reaching their hands towards a metal dream.Pittsburgh has been pulled from the rivers,
abandoned for foreign lovers rich with industry
as she lies weeping for the ones who leave.
Those who believe wipe their dirty faces,
roll up their tattered sleeves,
and help her rebuild.
Comments (7)
Hey Jan, welcome home and welcome back.
That’s a powerful poem you got there. I can feel the energy throbbing along the lines in the second verse….amazing! RYC: I am a Soka Gakkain Buddhist which stands for value creation in society. Every morning and evening we chant Daimoku. This is the name for chanting the title of the lotus sutra; NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO. NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO means “devotion to the mystic law of cause and effect though sound and time.” This is a very simple translation, it has many more meanings but this is the most basic. Through daimoku I chant for the peace and happiness of all humanity, each day; and lots more. There. Hope that wasn’t too long winded. 
Tomesara.x
So glad you and your Dad are recovering. Welcome home.
in the silhouette series of pictures i’ve done, generally i first draw the picture/pose i want(with way more detail than the finished piece shows) in pencil. then when i have it as good as i can get it, i go over it with black sharpies and draw the detail lines in with white-out. nothing fancy, i don’t really have enough money to play around with mediums as much as i’d like to.
“abandoned for foreign lovers rich with industry
as she lies weeping for the ones who leave.”
^ i loved this line.
well it does sound like you have a lot going on…but thats exciting stuff. Probably the good type of ambition
Take it easy on that foot–glad you’re doing better. Wonderful poem!
Glad your back Jan.
I’m glad you’re back. Take care of that foot, and the best to your dad too. your poem is nice.I have such a hard time writing about things such as that…. you are talented my friend.
Chris