Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

hunger is not evil
said the organ grinder
as his daughter sang out
to the streets & sky
possibilities are lessened
because the wild elephants are chained
and a woman in black evening dress and slick shoes
touches their trunks and poses among them
unconcerned her arms open like wings
she wears a big bow as if
she were some kind of gift
but the organ grinder knows better
than to believe that and gives the crank
of his machine another spin

remember them; years back. Good poem.

Thx, Terry. I never saw one for real who was making his living this way but a photo was placed in my hand recently of an organ grinder & his daughter taken, (my guess) sometime between the turn of the 20th century & World War One. I kept coming back to it.

an odd bygone occupation.....in Paris there were many folks who would jump on the subway cars with a squeeze-box....playing for tips between stops....some had an assistant to collect from the commuters......they're really good at not falling over as the cars lurch about......cool

when i was a child in baltimore i saw one. he had a monkey in a bellhop uniform - he took a penny from my hand. i was no older than 5 - probably younger. the grinders headquarters was this little house in little italy - around albemarle and eastern ave. stilltrucking remembers - i'm sure.