Trip #31 Jewel Street, Polish Hill, Pittsburgh took place on September 9, 2017, and was published on September 13, 2017.
Wings buzzing around my ears.
Wings beating within the knotweed stand.
Wings hanging overhead. Black metal shapeshifted as a crow. Industrial, human-made, tethered with thick, linked chain.
Forever in flight.
Forever stationary.
Forever watching the traversing creatures.
Going up. Going down.
~
Guardian of the stairs, assist me in my travels, for I am without wings. The journey to the top is long, and my legs are so very weary.
Field Notes: Similar to Apollo Street, these stairs have also had a recent clean-up. All the weeds/knotweed has been cut/sprayed back and the Rock Room rubbish appears to be not as bad as in the past (personal pet peeve – you’re so NOT punk if you’re pitching your PBR cans off the stairs – that’s littering and lame). The metal crow is still hanging at the bottom of the flight – a little beat-up, but the wings are still there!
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
