Dirty Little Secret... (1 Viewer)

[JJPrzybylski]

I'm living in another rooming house in Philly. Down the street from the old place that never quite recovered from a fire. The ol' Greek landlords remodeled the place with the insurance money. They kicked out the drunks, the mentals and the hopeless eccentrics. But all they could get as new tenants were fast-talking kids on their way to being zillionaires.

At least the old losers had ballast. Now I'm in another rooming house above a Greek diner. I've been passed along the grape-vine. That's the benefit that comes from not hating my landlords in the usual way. Now I'm back in the society of real weathered loonies who have an espirit de corps. Survivors! One old guy, who's now a midnight janitor, worked as a clerk at a XXX store just like a kid in one of Bukowski's books. Other guys I remember as gawkers, standing around the beer store as their buddies panhandled and extorted money. I pretend not to remember their cheap follies and bullying by proxy.

But my dirty little secret is this: I really wish I was one of those guys that Bukowski hated. I'd love to be an effete English teacher at a local college. I'd be a traitor in a heartbeat! But they won't have me.

 

[Mark73]

loonies who have an espirit esprit de corps

I'm a fashion victim wearing one of their shirts at the moment. I know that's not exactly what you mean, but hello.

 

[mjp]

I'm a fashion victim wearing one of their shirts at the moment.

Technically, that's a little too long to be called a shirt, but I don't know if I would necessarily call you a fashion victim...

 

[JJPrzybylski]

I'm a fashion victim wearing one of their shirts at the moment. I know that's not exactly what you mean, but hello.

And I thought that I was so smart, fitting in a latin phrase on the World's #1 Bukowski web-site no less. This is like having an ugly tear in my g-string in the 2011 Senior Division finals in West Palm Beach. A huge embarrassment. And, like posting here, I'd trained all my life for it.

In any case, here are two other things that separate me from Bukowski. I mean, besides really liking my landlords and secretly desiring to be an effete college professor. 1)I am much better read than Bukowski and can lay down the perfect latin phrase on a good day. 2)I am extremely shallow.

 

[PhillyDave]

I'm living in another rooming house in Philly. Down the street from the old place that never quite recovered from a fire.

Now I'm in another rooming house above a Greek diner.

Welcome. And Philly never runs out of Greek diners to live above, does it?

 

[d gray]

I really wish I was one of those guys that Bukowski hated.

careful what you wish for...:wb:

 

[roni]

I like that girl in mjp's post, but you knew that anyway.

 

[JJPrzybylski]

Welcome. And Philly never runs out of Greek diners to live above, does it?

Last night there was a black nylon travel bag outside the apartment building. Really, it was outside the boarded-up storefront next to the Greek diner. Hmmm. I wondered if I should call 911 or Homeland Security. I went inside and stared at it through the upstairs window. This is a good time, I realized, to get your face blown-off.

I shrugged. Who'd wanna blow-up the apartment building and diner? Like you said, there are hundreds of Greek Diners with rooms/apartments attached in Philly. My neighborhood in especially target rich. In any case, I figured that the place where I lived had zero political value. I figured that a home-made bomb was above the mental capacity of the bums who live and have lived here. And I figured that a customer who'd had a bad salad, or maybe a bad cheese-steak, would find
other recourse like throwing the F-Bomb at the cashier. Finally, I thought that only the mayor would like to see the place leveled. So he could give the land to developers. Like those who built the new apartment high-rise across the alley, with the metrosexuals and haughty girls. They walk around the neighborhood like they don't stink, while picking up the shit of their designer dogs on a leash.

Philly is fucked-up. I don't get it. I'm from Detroit and it's fucked-up too. But it's home, so I get it.

 

[PhillyDave]

Not to give too much away but, yeah, i can imagine the neighborhood yr in.

 

[Mark73]

I like that girl in mjp's post.

I only wish I would look that gorgeous, but this is poor me.

:wb:

 

[growing beard]

nice to meet you, now put up your dukes:mad:

1)I am much better read than Bukowski

First of all, fuck you for even hinting at the implication that Bukowski was not very well read.

https://bukowskiforum.com/threads/dispelling-bukowskis-myths.72/

Second of all, define well read.

I can lay down the perfect latin phrase on a good day

espirit de corps

It's french ya dickhead.

In closing, what up detroit! I grew up in Royal Oak. Not Detroit by any means, but closer to it than most places ... My old roomate was from philly too and I know Hank had some times there so it can't be all bad. Dug your story keep em coming. But the internet is a microscope, so be prepared to be examined :confused:

 

[roni]

I only wish I would look that gorgeous, but this is poor me.

Mark, you know you look magnificent in ANY dress.
But I prefer that latex-outfit you wore last time we met.

 

[mjp]

Now we're getting somewhere.

 

[Mark73]

Ready for action!

 

[PhillyDave]

:eek: