Monday, August 27, 2012

Hex

I came a cross this on a wall downtown. It sounds like some sort of play that Tom Brady would call in the huddle. Pliers left, 72, hex, break. I'm still a bit confused about it. If it's graffiti, then it's the neatest street art I've seen in a long time. Sometimes I roll over at night and find myself back at Cloutier's Amoco, searching desperately for my pliers or wire cutters. When the paper bundles were dropped off the truck each afternoon, they were secured by crisscrossed wires that held my package of 75 or so Portland Evening Expresses together. You needed one of these tools to cut the wires, pack your bag with papers and get on your way. My route was 15 or so in our back neighborhood then straight down Forest Avenue taking in all the side streets. Leo's was straight down Stevens Avenue covering all the streets and roads off that main drag. Often, we raced, walking... ah, running, biking and in February using our sleds. Deliver all your papers successfully and meet at Vivian's for a burger and Coke. We were both pretty good at it. If the weather cooperated and the fates were smiling upon us that afternoon, we usually were done and drinking our sodas within 35 minutes. We were good!

14 comments:

  1. You were good & I think those days were good for kids. Now many of the carriers drive, stop (engine idling), get out to toss the paper, & drive on a few feet to deliver the next...
    The pliers were hung there? It is rather mysterious...curious where it is...

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  2. une forme d'oeuvre d'art des rues

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  3. Happy days Birdman..and a very intriguing piece of wall 'art'!

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  4. Yep, another vignette for your book. I used to help my brother on his route sometimes, and afterward, we'd go to White Castle for . . . a burger and Coke. Yep.

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  5. I think there is a kind of symbolism behind this art but I can't understand yet.
    Léia

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  6. Those days are gone here - all the deliveries are by adults driving cars!

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  7. Sounds like you two made a great team. If this is some kind of art, I like it.

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  8. This is one of my favorite shots on your blog. Unique!

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  9. Nice find. It's one of my favorites too.

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  10. Has Robert Rauschenberg been through Portland lately?

    I never knew anyone who had a paper route. Didn't work in apartment buildings. You got your paper on the way to the subway or bus.

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  11. Here's one more reader saying the pic is interesting and begs to be taken symbolically, but I have no idea how to do that. Maybe the pic invites us each to write a story based on those component parts. Or the mystery of who put 'em there and why. Where's Michael Connelly when you need him?

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