Third Floor Front Poem by Michael Pruchnicki

We lived in a flat on South Halsted Street
third floor front - three kids, Ma and my Pa
a scruffy wire-haired fox terrier named Teddy

The building next to ours on the corner
overlooking grassy Garfield Boulevard
the Byrne building was full of Irish families

Most of the older boys had been drafted
and were serving in places like Guadalcanal
a few had been captured on Bataan

Kids my age were busy fighting our battles
with each other and with Italian kids from 26th
no truce was to be declared until the war ended

Teddy was the mascot of our building
he fought all dogs, large or small, no matter
terriers and boxers, pugs and shepherds