Make room for the artist, the designer of a river
_town. If you ride with him in the company truck, he'll
__take you past painted facades of downtown buildings
where, as a youth, he laid brick and stirred mortar
_while his father hovered in pinstripe overalls and a yellow
__hardhat. Make room for his pride: he can estimate
an extensive renovation, down to the dollar, after walking
_through a structure once. The proof of his talent is right
__before us: the city cathedral has new spires
and steeple; Geisenberger Drug has been gutted and beautifully
__updated; even Miss Nellie's bordello has new
___red-and-white awnings. He, too, knows how
to make way for what's important; his crews demolished an entire
_city block to create the modern convention center, taking out
___the old Clarke Grand Theatre and condemned
Queen Victoria Hotel. Afterward, he hawked mantles, porcelain sinks
_and rough brick to the highest bidders. At home, his
___daughters shook in their sleep; his wife woke
at odd hours to eat a slice of bread and listen to the clock. Make
_room for this man who smiles when he states the bottom-line
___number to his client but still can't
look them in the eye. When he enters the riverfront bar at the witching
_hour in the early afternoons, men make way for him, where
___the chain of straight bourbons are no longer a choice
but the truth.
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