The Poetry of Hammes Hardware

I was remiss in not blogging about my visit to Hammes Hardware in Harper (Ramblin' in The Gazette, Wednesday, Sept. 17). My stop there early the morning of Sept. 3 is one of those Ramblin' adventures that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I left Cedar Rapids so early that morning, I watched the sun rise during my nearly 2-hour drive to Harper in Keokuk County. I arrived just before 7 a.m.

Hammes Hardware owner Michael Berg, who is also a county supervisor, had suggested a couple of years ago that I stop in some time, that I'd be surprised at how many people in this town of 130 souls stopped in for their early morning cup of coffee to chat and play cards.

He was right. The sidewalk was packed, four men sat inside playing the card game Sixty Six and the jokes were flying left and right. This is the type of place that made Iowa such a great place to live a century ago and to see it continuing now in small communities warms my heart.

The fact that the store will close at the end of this month to be turned into a hunting lodge is sad. At least Michael will open a smaller place around the corner so these early morning gatherings can continue.

It takes a man of a different breed to not only operate a store like this, but to keep it going. And Michael certainly fits that bill. Among his many ventures is writing poetry. He published "Don't Quit Your Day Job" a dozen years ago and it, too, is a wonderful look at small-town Iowa as well as life and love. Here's one of his poems I enjoyed:

"My Whining and Dining Room"

They lose their crops a thousand times,

losing their dollars but spending their dimes

on candies and snacks, here in my store;

they want something different or else they want more.

The world's gone to hell; the kids won't obey;

the hogs are all sick and it rained on the hay.

If prices are up, they know they won't last;

the profits last week are all in the past.

Hog prices will plummet, cattle will die;

Machinery don't last and governments lie,

But Pepsi and Snickers will alleviate doom

in my whining and dining room.

 If you'd like to contact Michael, I'm sure he'd be glad to hear from you. Write to him at: Michael Berg, Harper Iowa 52231.