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Let us assume that this store replaced
Billy Blake's Department Store
in Stonybrook, two years after
I graduated college.
Billy Blake was a box store
in Stonybrook, two years after
I graduated college.
Billy Blake was a box store
that discount-minded shoppers
in eastern Long Island cherished
for much too brief a period of time.
The Blake stores existed for no more
than five years, ending in 1973.
The Blake stores existed for no more
than five years, ending in 1973.
The "A and P" is equally defunct
but not until after one and a half centuries
of providing groceries for
Long Island hipsters
preferred to believe that
the Billy Blake Department Stores
the Billy Blake Department Stores
were named for
the 18th century
poet and mystic.
For more than
William Blake has provided
inspiration and poetic pulchritude
for three and a half gazillion
people.
He will continue to inspire
our inner poets for the next
three and a half centuries.
Here is another image
of the visionary poet:
Poetic-minded youth
might be more inclined
to quote Jim Morrison
who named his band
because the mystical lead singer
was inspired by this quote.
However,
this page would not exist
if it were not for another
famous Rock n' Roller:
Neil Young!
+
A confession from someone
who spent thirty-two years
on Long Island:
My most vivid memory
of William Blake's poetry
is inferior to my memory
of Billy Blake's store.
At a poetry reading
in 1968, I recited
while doing jumping jacks.
Do not ask why
but the idea was very inventive
while the execution
was embarrassingly bad.
May 18, 1969
was my twentieth birthday
and the most memorable gift
was given to me by my father
in the parking lot of
Billy Blake's Department Store.
Neil Young had released
less than a week before
my father begifted his son.
On December 10, 2016
(approximately four hours ago)
Mrs. CarPeo pleasantly surprised me
by playing Neil Young's masterpiece
on the car stereo.
I responded like
a crazy horse with memories...
and begat all of the above.
Thank you for reading this.
PS
Mrs. CarPeo grew up in Brooklyn
on the Western end of Long Island.
She knew nothing about
Billy Blake's Department Store
but when she worked for Abrams Books,
she designed a William Blake book:
PS
Mrs. CarPeo grew up in Brooklyn
on the Western end of Long Island.
She knew nothing about
Billy Blake's Department Store
but when she worked for Abrams Books,
she designed a William Blake book:
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Thanks for the memories, Mr. CarPeo.
ReplyDeleteI was a cashier at the Billy Blake in Montauk
and I hate to disappoint you, but the store
was not named for an 18th century poet.
It was named for the owner: a Corleone street boss:
Guillermo "Billy Blake" Blockaroni.
Did Mr. Blockaroni write poetry?
DeleteNo but he could cook up
Deletea poetically delicious lasagna.