Deep Second

"Plunging arrongantly twenty years through ordered space,
And when to my older eyese the town appeared reduced and dowdy as a worn out doll"

Ralph Ellison died in 1994. What would he think now of Deep Deuce? Deep Second? In one of the articles we received it states that Deep Second was renamed Deep Deuce as a marketing plan. Was is because Deep Deuce rolls off the tongue easier that Deep Second? It does have a more lyrical sound about it.

The above line in Ellison's poem would find that worn out doll without arms and legs. It is as if 2nd street has been amputated. One by one limbs have been removed. Of course in its place there are new apartments that have been built. Do they exude the essence of Deep Second? There are still a few buildings left. Some have been abandoned. They are now vessels that hold empty mouthwash bottles, cigarette butts, and memories.

"And learn that streets loom larger in the mind than ever"

It seems when you are a small child everything is bigger, brighter, shinier.... When you go back to a place where you grew up, years have passed and maybe structures haved become tarnished.

"And all the past was shaken up, and all the old speech singing
In the wind, and their once clear skins and once bright eyes
Looking through to see me in my passions venture."

Where are these bright eyes now? Where have they moved to?

"Time past and present into a dream
and how they live in me
And I in them"

Deep Second has changed. What would Ellison say now? He wouldn't recognize it.

Just some thoughts from me from when I read his poem.

Side note from me:
On NE 4th by Lottie, there was another area of shops for Blacks. This area of homes is making a come back where prominent Blacks are building $175,000 homes and up. What is interesting is many of these beautiful homes have bars on their windows.

We have Deep Deuce, when did NE 23rd and Martin Luther King (and east) come into being? I will have to check that out.