Main Street, Gloucester. 1932. Max Kuehne (1880-1968)

My Journey Upon the Sands of Time

by Peter Todd

The Gloucester Train Depot and shoes to shine,
Running in and out of the Depot Cafe,
Nelson’s Candy and Station Lunch to find
The greatest of Fried Dough and Doughnuts to eat.
From the train to City Hall shining Mayor Corliss’s shoes
To moving down onto Duncan street
Meals at The Hesperus or Cape Ann Diner with no time to lose,
Wanting to move along for new customers to greet.
The years passing by like the hourglass sands
With Urban Renewal beckoning fast,
Fishermen’s Institute and all men’s tales
To my heart and soul forever cast.
Growing in years too old for the bars,
Graduating to working at Nat’s Shoe Shine and Repair,
The sands of hourglass now running fast
Finding myself at City Hall and my old boss Freddy Kyrouz there.
I will never forget this journey upon the Sands of Time
For I will share it with our youth the best way that I can
In searching for the right words or expressions I find
It will come to me easy by believing in the Master’s Plan.

Peter Todd is Poet Laureate of the City of Gloucester. 
His poems center around such diverse topics as the Gloucester City Council, the city’s rich history, the fishing boats
 and working waterfront, Gloucester landmarks, and individuals who have made Gloucester great.