Many Gloucesters

An End to Great God Cod

By: Charles Giuliano - Sep 07, 2016

Many Gloucesters

Tough old salt
Weather-beaten
Grizzled Gloucester
Built around
Gorton’s Pew
Emphasis on
The pew
Stench of fish
Rotting wharves
Working class
Neighborhoods
Dense clusters
Lumpers and cutters
Processing plants
Worshiped at
Our Lady of Good Voyage
Now and then Sundays
Mom dragged us to mass
Always enjoyed
Portuguese church
Bright colors
Not drab and dreary
Grim and gothic
More heaven than hell
What I didn’t know
Growing up
In Annisquam
Enclave of rich
Who talk only
To each other
Sailing and tennis
Gortons and mayors
Senator Ben Smith
Jack’s roommate
Dated his sister Julie
A Governor summered
Next to us
Norwood Heights
Through stinky downtown
To Eastern Point
Past Niles Beach
Shingle style mansions
Gated community
Keeping out riff raff
You and me pal
Ersatz Newport
On smaller scale
Commanding views
Where T.S. Eliot
Once summered
Mentioned in a few lines
Many Gloucesters
Touristy Rockport
Tacky art
Tuck’s Candy
Motif Number One
Pigeon Cove
Folly Cove
Noted for Designers
Lanesville
Riverdale
Abandoned Dogtown
Upscale Bass Rocks
Massive Halibut Point
Disconnected
Olson’s polis
City state
Sense of place
From classic Greek
Contained community
Concerned citizens
Give and take
Raped by urban renewal
Festering greed
Destroying what’s left
Tourist destinations
Sailing towns
Salem
Newport
Newburyport
Nanfucket
Martha’s Vineyard
P’Town hangin’ on
What’s left of fish
Son of a bitch
Bought up by
The rich
New Balance
Now owns
Olson’s harbor
Worth billions