Poem – Victor’s Deli on Jamaica Avenue (By Tom Brogan)

Victor’s Deli has tables to enjoy

your breakfast or lunch. There

is always a line for the scrumptious

food. Victor’s wife owns the business

and keeps the name even though

they are divorced. For a while a

delivery man used to bring her

flowers after the breakup. Caroline

plays her harmonica there and Louis

like to sing Broadway tunes. Cathy

who works a convertible car cover

job likes to talk. Today she recounted

a story from the Beijing Olympics.

A 7 year old girl who was picked

To sing at the Opening Ceremony

was replaced by another girl

who was so called prettier.

The prettier girl with no

singing talent lip sang

to the voice of the

replaced girl. The article

was in Newsday. The

girl who probably

very disappointed

is named Yang Peiyi.

Yang was missing a tooth,

but sang beautifully.

The world heard her

voice but didn’t

see her smile.

Author Bio:

Tom Brogan is a library supervisor at Brooklyn Public Library and a poet.  He has contributed two essays to Bridging Cultures: Ethnic Services in the Libraries in New York State published by the New York Library Association.