Woolworth's

Pleasure and Pain

By: Charles Giuliano - Dec 20, 2014

Woolworth's

Coolidge Corner
Streetcar ride or long walk
Woolworths
Christmas presents
Cheap but inventive
Saved up allowance
For being good and doing chores
Huge bottle of perfume for Mom
Fascinating and faceted
Better on looks than scent
For little Pip
Mechanical cars and pups
Lots of them
She was just a squirt
Played with her after school
Inventive games
Ran the little car over her tender head
Hair got caught in the gears
Impulsively yanked it off
With a hunk of scalp
Crying
I’m telling Mom and Dad
Begged her not to
She did
They freaked
Years later
Off my conscience
On the phone today reminded her
Talked about writing this poem
Why not she said
Water under the bridge
More like Niagara Falls