My Pittsburgh

About the Book

RETIREMENT

(I recently retired from an office
products dealer after eighteen
years of dutiful service.)

I'm riding off into the sunset;
eighteen years is a long time.
I'm putting away my catalog
to write some irresistible rhyme.

I'll miss my coworkers
and my customers as well.
One thing I won't miss, however,
is that 6 AM alarm clock bell.

My first job was delivering newspapers,
and I ended up selling office supplies.
After all those years of paying taxes,
Social Security is awarding me a prize.

I'm expected to live on what they give me.
I think they are out of their minds.
Although I expect to make a fortune,
selling all my books of rhymes.

This retirement stuff sure is good;
what I now do all day is no one's biz.
It sure is a great feeling
not knowing what day it is.

So, please purchase one of my books.
I really could use the cash.
And I'd like to thank you in advance
because this book will be a smash.

About the Author

My life has changed since 2005 when I published my first book of poetry, Long Time Coming: Volume One. I have since retired at the young age of 62, and now I am devoting myself to my rhymes and the marketing of the same on a full-time basis. I must admit that I am enjoying it all.

As I explained in my first book, I?ve rhymed all my life. I wrote poetry for my teachers in school, for girls I met at high school dances, and for my wedding day (which I read at the reception). Then I got busy with life. I served in the military and generally messed around trying to make a living and have some fun. I had a few jobs and didn?t really take my rhymes seriously. Then there was the battle with alcohol, which I lost for a while, but emerged victorious. I haven?t had a drink in 19 years, but still I found myself too busy to pay attention to the rhymes that constantly ran through my mind. Or maybe I just didn?t take it all very seriously, so I limited my poetry to my answering machine at work and special occasions, like birthdays, holidays and anniversaries.

And now I have produced this volume about my beloved hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh residents have a bond with their city unlike any other. We are Pittsburgh-proud, and I am no exception. I thought it only fitting that I produce some rhyme about the ?Burgh, as we call it. I hope you enjoy this second volume of my poetry, entitled My Pittsburgh.