Over at the Get N’ Go…(As Life Goes By.)
The Get N’ Go is a little old store on a busy street…in town…
People stop in for a few moments…They come from all around.
Some have to get to work…Some have to get back home…
Some are out standing on the street corner…panhandlin’ all alone.
Over at the Get N’ Go…As life goes by…
People stop in for some little thing…that they need to buy.
(“You see a lot more meanness in the City…”) My Poem inspired by this song.
The old place could use more cleaning…especially the floor…
The little bell goes off…as each person comes through the door.
Someone’s going to get rich here…as they stand around checking lotto numbers to win…
The man behind the counter hands each ticket off with a “Good Luck”…and a grin.
It ain’t pretty…out in the parking lot…
Three old timey gas pumps…is all they got.
The traffic stacks back to this little store in the morning…
Cold, Wet Winter Houston days…come along without warning.
And you know…People live…out under the bridge nearby…
Over at the Get N’ Go…People stop in for some little thing…they need to buy.
Then get back in their Cars…for places further down the road…
Not paying attention to lonely faces…who look like they’ve carried a heavy load.
I stopped in the other day…
Purchased a “Scratch-Off” Lottery Card… for me to play.
Helped an old man wheel through the front door…
Who has no more legs…anymore.
I see him coming from blocks away…
He gets himself some smokes and a “Tall Boy” there…each day…
Haven’t seen the guy that sits on the street corner…whose skin has tanned dark gray…
Time goes by…Over at the Get N’ Go…We look at each other…but there isn’t much to say.
Saw a guy crashed out behind the building…in the afternoon…on a Sunday…
Two beers by his side…Alone…just him and the trash bin…in the alleyway.
Pulled up nearby to the traffic light…Past the Get N’ Go…as it turned red…
Young Man standing there with a cardboard sign…He looked to me…I turned my head.
What can you do…when you don’t have any cash on you?
Say a prayer at the light…and then just go on through…
We all need money to get through life…and to get down the road…Me, I sure do…
I’m not exactly sure what you do with all the money…that is given you.
I see you over at the Get N’ Go…grabbing a cold beer that is lying down deep in the ice…
I’d sure like to stop my commute…An ice cold drink about now…would be real nice.
We both stop by…that same old little store…and for one moment…We share a glance…
I think I’ll get on with my commute for another day…and not leave my life…left to chance.
Over at the Get N’ Go…as you run in and then go…on your way…
Don’t forget to say “Hi” to all kinds of People…just trying to get through their day.
And if you find it in your heart…to help out some poor soul…and give…
Who’s to judge? None of us…are experts on the way that other folks should live.
Me… I’ll make myself smile again…Just like the guy in the wheelchair with no legs is doing…on the porch outside…
It doesn’t hurt to stop and let the Cars fly by without us; That may be the secret…that this guy has been trying to hide.
The End.
You know…in life through the years…I have learned that…I may not know a whole lot…but I sure see a lot. (Probably…a good thing for a Poet to be able to do.) Signed, your friend, MPM
(Poem originally created on May 4, 2012, but never published)
Published this day: March 3, 2022
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Steve Walters -joined TCE in the Fall of 2021. Keep an eye on his author page for many great works to come.
https://www.creativeexiles.com/author/stevew/You can also find works by Steve Walters (who uses the pen name of ManlyPoetryMan) on: ManlyPoetryMan on HubPages. https://hubpages.com/@manlypoetrymanAnd on Manly Poetry Man’s website: Home | Manly Poetry Man
Enough of that intro. It is really great to be writing here on: "The Creative Exiles". I am lining up some of my best writings for this website. Going to "Bring-it" with a variety of "Poetic-able" Topics. So just kick back and enjoy some of the Poetry I send out to you. It’s all for “Entertainment” purposes only…so all you will have to do is read and enjoy my writings.
And, I really hope you do!
Now, it is time for me to go and write in a "Poet-icized" manner like those long ago “Men of Old” Poets would’ve once long ago done it. They have primarily inspired me to write Poems in a manner that is “Manly” like how they use to write Poetry.
Please stay tuned for more of my Poetry works.
Best and Humble Regards, Steve Walters
(Or the Artist still known as: Manlypoetryman)
- In an Oklahoma Sky. - July 3, 2025
- Moment in the Wind… (I Am A Traveller) - May 30, 2025
- Unwritten Words in the Sky - April 11, 2025
I love this piece, Steve. It brings back memories of the neighborhood store I lived near years ago. Well done.
Thank you so much for reading it, Phyllis. That is awesome that it could remind you of neighborhood store you once lived near by. There is a whole lot of “Life” going on at the neighborhood store. If we only could stop and imagine sitting near the front door for just a little while…at each person’s favorite little store…and seeing all the different People passing by. What a mix of folks we would encounter. Each with their own busy agenda and separate place that they come from. It occurs to me that we are all equal at the counter. We go in for gas, Lotto, ice cold drink, burrito, candy bar, etc. We pass by each other in the close confines of the small store aisles and enter and leave through the same front door. Wait in line for the same attendant to make our purchase. Often meeting with many other folks at the same time…while trying to go through the door. The store I think of for this piece had an active Vice-President stop in (It’s near a huge airport)…Complete with Secret Service and everything…Meanwhile a few hundred feet nearby…there were about five panhandlers on the street corner…who also pop into the same little store…as they please. What a contrast of extremes the little store can have at any given moment. Intrigues my thinking…way too much. But, then I ramble in text response…way too much. Thank you for commenting on it.
You are most welcome, Steve. The store you reminded me of was run by a family who owned it for many years. Mr. Heckle, the father, was always there during the day and he knew us by name. We often had a nice chat with him. Ahhh! Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, is it not?
It truly can be! (And good for writing material, too…Ha!)
I enjoyed this poem, Steve. We all have our favourite old stores…if they still survive. Thank you for sharing this poem that you wrote a few years back.
John…Want to thank you for reading this one and for commenting on it. My old neighborhood store still sits on the same corner…as it did in the “way back when”. It has changed hands a bunch…I’m sure. I bet it could have some stories to tell of the changes over the years. I’ve been holding this Poem back a few years for the right time. Mainly, because where I live and the Store I speak of here are so full of different people…I wanted to make sure I got it right…in the writing of it all. John, always appreciate your comments.
I love your poetry Steve. This poem really hit home it reminds me of the small store I would buy my candy from growing up. You are able to bring back memories and point out social issues in a powerful yet subtle way. Excellent read Steve and I am excited to see what is next! Jamie
Jamie…I thank you for reading this one. Thank you so much for your comment, too. It’s funny how we all have a little store that we have great memories of. Glad I was able to remind you of good memories of your store. When I was a kid and we walked to the little 7-11 store (with the whole gang) and loaded up on candy, Slurpees, and Baseball cards (and they had other fun cards: Wacky Stickers and some crazy “Hot-Rod” Cards)…those were some great times! We would hang out in front of that store for an hour or so…going through it all. And, what about that long row of candy on about 4 shelves…pretty amazing, too…especially for a kid. Movie Theaters and Grocery Stores couldn’t match that…or the variety of cold Sodas. Good memories…like you were saying. By the way…Wish you “Success” with all your writings and I have enjoyed reading your works as well.