...Down in Gilpin Place, near Hull House, was a man with his jaw wrapped for a bad toothache...
He is a maker of accordions and guitars and not only makes them from start to finish, but plays them after he makes them.
And he had a guitar of mahogany with a walnut bottom he offered for seven dollars and a half if I wanted it,
And another just like it, only smaller, for six dollars, though he never mentioned the price until I asked him,
And he stated the price in a sorry way, as though the music and the make of an instrument count for a million times more than the price in money.
I thought he had a real soul and knew a lot about God.
There was light in his eyes of one who has conquered sorrow in so far as sorrow is conquerable or worth conquering.
Anyway he is the only Chicago citizen I was jealous of that day.
He played a dance they play in some parts of Italy when the harvest of grapes is over and the wine presses are ready for work.
He is a maker of accordions and guitars and not only makes them from start to finish, but plays them after he makes them.
And he had a guitar of mahogany with a walnut bottom he offered for seven dollars and a half if I wanted it,
And another just like it, only smaller, for six dollars, though he never mentioned the price until I asked him,
And he stated the price in a sorry way, as though the music and the make of an instrument count for a million times more than the price in money.
I thought he had a real soul and knew a lot about God.
There was light in his eyes of one who has conquered sorrow in so far as sorrow is conquerable or worth conquering.
Anyway he is the only Chicago citizen I was jealous of that day.
He played a dance they play in some parts of Italy when the harvest of grapes is over and the wine presses are ready for work.
Carl Sandburg
by Gayle Forman
by Lauren Barnholdt
by E.M. Forster
by Francesca Lia Block
by Alyson Noel
by Kirsten Miller
by Stephanie Kuehnert
by Harvey Karp
Posts
Beautiful
ReplyDeleteAh, the great Carl Sandburg. Thanks for reminding me. Glad to have you back. Hope you post more often.
ReplyDeleteThat's so beautiful. My favorite part was
ReplyDelete“And he stated the price in a sorry way, as though the music and the make of an instrument count for a million times more than the price in money.”
If only I had that attitude about my own creative products.
I hope I post more often, too. I'm trying to remind myself there's more to writing than getting an agent, you know?
ReplyDeleteI have missed your posts. It's good to see you back. ~ Milli
ReplyDeleteI loved this! And yes, there is way more to writing than getting and agent, (or a book deal). Moving forward is good.
ReplyDelete