Monthly Archives: March 2015

We’ve shattered this like
glass thrown hard toward the floor.
I’m trying to walk out of our room.
Shards of glass everywhere mangle
my feet. I sit down now to pry them out, a foot propped up on my
knee, inhaling between clenched teeth.
Not until a piece is removed
does blood stream from the wound.
And then another. My foot
soaked in blood. I pile
pieces of glass
on the table. I will
never
throw them away.
Strangers, friends, pull
at my arms and elbows.
They mean well. I intend to
stand and walk with them. But
they don’t see my feet full of shattered
glass. I know you feel it too. The sound of it breaking rings in our ears. And, standing in the doorway, you’re the only one that sees these bleeding soles.

Urbex-Shattered Glass by mrk on Deviant art

Made by Dan Peccia and Pamela Dillon

Pick up a piece for a small donation at 2115 SE 48th Avenue! Or order a piece by emailing me at heartstump@gmail.com!

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Visit Dan’s website

A love poem to the Cedar Rapids Olive Garden From Pam “Pamelita” “Croutonica”  “What the Dillio?” Dillon

When I walk through the doors of the C.R. O.G.

I always know that a smile is not far from me,

whether from Midge or Carie, from Hector, Habib?

If you’re sad when you walk in, you’re glad when you leave.  😉

It’s a magical place if you only believe.

If you think you know what to expect, you’re deceived.

You’ll have this guest and that guest in this mood or that.

And they’ll dip fifty breadsticks in ten sides of ranch.

Through the alley you’ll whistle or shout something profane,

to keep all your guests from driving you insane.

Then you’ll use your green linen to wipe blood, tears, and sweat,

during each split you’re working to pay off your debt.

Just keep cool and remember your goal for the night

in cab or in chard, sampling red, blush, or white,

even if you take their order and they say it’s not right

eat it all, say it’s bad, and won’t pay for a bite

you just show them that charm and you shine your eyes bright

fill your room with one hundred percent guest delight. 😉

Some days OG is awful and some days it’s just fine

and we taste tiramisu while Josh samples out wine.

You ask your room partner to follow with drinks,

so they follow with insults, strange noises, and winks,

You say I’m in the weeds, and they say, “Join the club.”

But they help when you need it, and you feel the love.
In the side station servers spill guts to each other

when the restaurant is slow, of course, and side work is over…

And not on the clock because that would be wrong…

but it’s the way that we bond when our days are so long.

In the crammed up coat room, we eat half price steak gorg

then we snapchat ourselves being alfredo whores.

While we fatten our waistlines with each tasty dip

and with every new table we fatten our tips.

So we walk out some nights with a big stack of cash

and we walk out some nights with a bruise and a rash

but we laughed and we smiled, and upsold desserts

and we yelled at the line (but they yelled at us first!)

Julia joked, Kareme asked, “How can I support you team?”

Iris bounced all over and Josh tried to be mean.

But even when he tries (and he assuredly fails),

we just start up our cars and we drive to Cocktails.

(Cheers!) You may not always serve at the C.R. O.G.,

It may not last forever, I guess we will see…

but as long as you’re there just do one thing for me,

know that everyone there is OG family. ❤