Tuesdays were never good days for me.

The best part of my day was the walk “home”.

Burly Street was always bursting with life.

On the corner, 

There was an old café,

Jay’s Jazz and Java.

The coffee was great,

The bagels were divine,

And the music poured out of every window.

People would crowd around the building 

To dance together in the street.

I was never allowed to dance.

The sound of the music

Took me to a different world.

Somewhere better.

It made me see the color pink.

You know, 

The kind of pink that makes you feel warm.

It was quite a comfort to my cold world.

It was too bad,

I couldn’t hear it from my room.

Though,

I blame the color on the restaurant sign.

It was perfectly positioned in my forward view. 

It was a bright pink sign that read 

“ Valerie’s “ 

Big Zesty Flavor

I couldn’t help but cringe at the slogan,

“Big Zesty Flavor”

I mean, you do you I guess.

Past there,

A variety of shops

Filled my walk.

Anita’s Antiques

Was the first shop I passed.

The line always spilled into the road.

Next was Books And Beyond,

The best book shop 

In the entire town.

Of course, there was Benny’s Barbershop.

Benny was the funniest guy I knew

And the only person that cut my hair.

There was Shelly’s,

The not so convenient 

Convenience store.

And, 

My favorite place of all,

All Things Art.

That’s where I met 

Three people I called

Family.

They were the only ones 

That came to visit.

It got lonely on the 6th floor.

Thanks to them, 

The plain white walls of my room

Became hopeful for the future.

I stopped at their shop

Every time I took a walk.

I wish I could see them up here. 

Burly Street was one of those streets

Where, when you turn right at the corner,

You were still on Burly Street. 

When you took the turn,

The mountains were perfectly framed

By the parallel hospital wings.

It was truly a beautiful sight,

A beautiful walk,

For a sickly child.

My memories of Burly Street,

The places, the music, the people,

Are my only happiness up here.