PITTSBURGH POEM by Dan O’Connell

  Benigno Numine (official motto of The City of Pittsburgh)

For some reason my girlfriend’s writers conference

is in pittsburgh this year, so, with google map result 

for bars of pittsburgh printed out, I walk

trying to get a feel for this erstwhile iron town

on my first of five hotel days’ free

beginning downtown at The Yard, a brick-walled

‘burgher’ and sports bar of no interest. I have 2 pints

and cross the fort pitt bridge and prized confluence

to scour the southside’s famous strip of saloons

on carson street named for an inurned environmentalist, 

but am disappointed with Urban Tap’s weak well drinks and  

clientele of mere kids dressed like kindergarteners, 

and Jack’s, Foxtail and The Flats because they’re not open yet

though its already noon

Soon discovery a dr. mcgillicuddy’s chalk sign

outside an unnamed establishment and find,

after my eyes adjust to the dark, empty red leather booths

with black ashtrays sliced for smokes – you know the kind – 

and a jukebox next to a cigarette machine like a time-warp 

and a bar as long as I’ve ever seen, two veteran drunks 

discussing american presidents from johnson on:

“asshole”     “yup”

“asshole”    “indeed”

“asshole”    “yes sir”

“asshole”    “that’s right”

“asshole”    “big one”

“asshole”    “CIA asshole”

“asshole”    “a-hole”

“asshole”    “asshole sonny boy”

“asshole”    “asshole got no color”

“asshole”    “traitor asshole”

“asshole”    “stinky old asshole”

I have 3 sutter chardonnays and take the bartender’s directions

to the blue bridge, make a left at the county jail,

stay on the boulevard of allies which will lead to The Eagle,

a fried chicken place with local brews I should try

Sounds easy, but after turning at the landmark (newly released inmate

asleep on the lawn) I get lost navigating detours around

the destruction site of a defunct shopping mall, wind up traversing  

andy warhol bridge, take in the revitalized allegany river

once clogged with coal boats, drop a hundred bucks 

for steak-on-a-stone and 4 penn hazy’s at Northshore Tavern

in the five o’clock shadow of heinz stadium

then, staggering now, make my way over saint roberto clemente bridge

back toward downtown and destination Rebel Bar

where along the way I trip on one of pittsburgh’s high curbs, 

scrape my palms bloody on broken glass, getting a feel for the city

Dan O’Connell is a four-time award winning poet, and multiple finalist and honorable mention. His poems have appeared over eighty times, including in Mississippi Review and Ghost Town Literary Magazine. A former Philosophy professor, Dan is an eviction defense attorney. He is the author of two full-length collections of poetry, Different Coasts, and Theory of Salvation, and the chapbook State of the Union. Find Dan O. at danoconnellpoetry.com