THE RHYME OF MAYFIELD

The 1970's (Belair Road & Erdman Avenue)

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By:  Jeffrey Cerquetti and Vincent A. Porretti

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Back when we lived in a place called Mayfield,

            Many of life’s lessons were often revealed

 

We wore our Jack Purcell’s out playing BBall at “The Lot”,

            But man, we learned to shoot hoops from nearly any old spot.

 

At Montebello they had clay tennis courts,

            We played a game with Zoom, Parfigliano and Swartz

 

Our houses were set between Herring Run and Clifton Park,

            Yet is was rare to hear Connie’s dog Smokey ever growl or bark

 

Ride bikes, dribble balls and the neighborhood we would hang around,

            The radio had Jimmy tell us not to mess with Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.

 

We got a pizza sub at a Belair Road stop called Deannos,

            The quality was not quite up to what we would call Siciliano

 

At least four places sported the name of “Vilma”,

            The origin of which was always a dilemma

 

Gary cut our hair at his corner shop “on the Road”,

            Each day at “the Garage” improved our muscles – it showed

 

The Blue Bowl bakery had great pastry, bread and cakes,

            Nearby Pastores’ Italian cold cuts were always great shakes

 

 

We frequented Two-Guys, A&P and the Library Pratt,

            Where we often saw our neighborhood’s “Harry the Hat”

 

Days down at the schoolyard, many nights ‘round The Moon,

            Mr. Cuba’s lot blooming and Strobeck’s snowballs in June

 

The water from Hall Springs was well worth the long treks,

            The music and dancing at Hughie’s, topped most discotheques

 

The White Coffee Pot Junior ‘cross the street from Catholic High,

            The ice cream and shakes at The Arundel would always satisfy

 

The Shrine’s CYO Friday Night dances called it quits at eleven,

            Ending the evening to the strands of Stairway to Heaven

 

Fix your bike, frame a map, buy a model down at the Hobby Shop,

            At Reads, match a radio tube or a buy a Smith Brothers cough drop

 

A bag of little White Tavern burgers was a delight for only a dollar,

            The Sisters at ‘Little Flower’ urged you on to become a good scholar

 

Women’s jewelry and cloths at Ponds were within a good price range,

            The Hucksters vegies and fruits were great, but his sing-songs were strange          

 

The Two-Guys soft pretzels with mustard were one of my favorite things,

            We tied a board from Grandpa’s shop to ride on a skate with a string

 

Down around Brehms Lane was a corner store named Docs,

            The tunes of Jethro Tull played as we walked those ten blocks