Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler; Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders;
They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys. And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again. And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger. And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them: Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning. Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities; Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted against the wilderness, Bareheaded, Shoveling, Wrecking, Planning, Bulding, breaking, rebuilding, Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth, Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs, Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle, Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse, and under his ribs the heart of the people, Laughing! Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweating, pround to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.
I thought I knew all things Robert Frost. That was excellent. I grew up in Chicago. That made it even better still. This may be my new favorite Robert Frost poem. Just beautiful, Welb.
This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at August 17, 2017 5:21 PM MDT
Well, I am from there for the first forty years of my life. It made me well-rounded, street-smart without being in the streets, meaning I was protected mostly. I got a great education. I met all kinds of different races and ethnic backgrounds, I learned so much from just eating different foods. It has great architecture, music, art, industry. It is the Second largest City in the USA. I was very proud to be from there. And the people are very friendly as a whole. They come in all sizes and shapes and likes and dislikes but mostly friendly folk who are used to being around people.
I felt secure in getting a job. There were dozens to choose from. I wanted to be a legal secretary, there were literally 300 jobs to choose from in a 10 mile radius. So it was great for growing up and learning what you wanted out of life. I was in my 20's dating and experiencing the social atmosphere from that lens. It was very Studio 54 in my 20's. It was very Hippie in the 60's right before that. So, I had a lot of history right in my face with the Chicago riots in the 60's. Reminds me of now. Reminds me of Nixon. But this guy Nixon would loathe.
Nixon liked rules and following structure.
This is like Austin City Lights for music when I was growing up in the 60's. I saw everyone there. EVERYONE. And in the first row. My boyfriend's roommate was the bouncer.
This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at August 17, 2017 5:29 PM MDT
Benedict Arnold 