Poem of the Week: 'Hatboro, 2008 and Back'

Each week, Upper Moreland-Willow Grove Patch is happy to present poems selected by the members of the , as well as poems from the residents of the Upper Moreland area.

This week's poem:

"Hatboro, 2008 and Back"

By  Mary Brucker

Little town, many memories

A close friend lived near County line Road.

Twenty two bus on York Road.

Hatboro station between Byberry and Moreland.

Half hour on peak, every hour off peak.

Always a welcome sound, coming and going.

York Road, memory road.

Torrents of memories crowd faster and faster

Like the traffic overly congested.

Doors of memory open.

The library, over 200 years old.

Our book club met every 4th Friday.

The balcony overlooking that room held original books and writings dating back to the 1700's.

Breakfast at "On a roll Deli",

also serving the best Chicken Salad hoagies!

Moreland Towers tell stories of neighbors now gone.

And the Coffee salon with poetry and open mic,

Yin and Otis welcomed everyone.

Mocha, Latte, sandwiches, and dumplings,

Priceless original paintings, Beatles memorabilia and hand-made crafts.

Further on memory Road, across Byberry –

the Daily Grind,

does it still hang its plaque?

Christine sang there in 2000 – the year I discovered that shop.

They had entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights,

And I met Laura Shay!

She was good and I bought  her CD.

Her songs sang to me,

closer and closer until we harmonized together.

Others also played.

Steve, a distant cousin played Sixty’s, Seventy’s and Beatles guitar.

My usual flavored coffee, almond, hazelnut or raspberry,

Sandwiches and sweets served on real dishes!

with chrome silverware too!

I don’t remember who played that night - 2006.

that rainy July night, - etched in my memory.

You called me then,

and brought day to my night!

Your light crushed my darkness!

Life to my despair!

The call - I thought wouldn’t come.

Excited me, terrified me!

Turned my world and my head on its heart.

---

About the author:

Mary Brucker is a social worker, and has been writing poetry for the past 10 years. She has read at several open mics and poetry workshops in the Philadelphia area. She was previously a featured poet at the Serenity Gift Shop in August 2009. Her works have been published in the Fox Chase Review, the Tookany Review and in the Willow Grove Poets' chat-book, . She resides in Glenside.