Shopping for a new living situation on Craigslist can be an...interesting endeavor. If it's too good to be true, it probably is. If they don't include photos, you're rolling the dice. You're often left balancing your desperation for a new living arrangement over the poster's lack of desire to use spellcheck.
So when you come across an ad like this one for an available room in a Capitol Hill apartment, you tend to appreciate it like a breath of fresh air, even if you're not interested in the place. You not only get details about the abode but also a full history of ownership and memories.
Once upon a time there was an old gray house
who lived on top of Capitol Hill
on a quiet street between an "L" and a "T".
In '69 it was a greener hue, soon afterward painted blue
It was full of folks and a kid or three
And then in '73, a me.
We had rabbits, chickens, honeybees and ducks,
A schoolbus and a Travelall pickup truck
A garden and lots of homemade stuff
But it wasn't enough.
My parents split in '84
And the idealism all went out the door
Along with the music, the community
And maybe the life-force.
Fast forward three decades,
I move home to care for my dad in his old age
He passed on, on the first of June
And now we have to talk about renting rooms.
Or selling the house, whichever is prudent
But I'm getting better at home improvement
Plus I've gotten a little attached
To the greenhouse and (soon-to-be) garden in back.
And the firepit songs and the guest-chef nights
I want this to be a place of joy and light
Like how it used to be, at least in my memory.
So here I am, on Craig's List of glory
Trying to find someone who connects with this story
Someone who is kind (and who pays bills on time).
Someone who is mellow (whether woman or fellow).
Someone who doesn't make tons of noise (but the occasional party enjoys).
Someone with good credit (whether bald-headed or dreaded)
Someone who doesn't take more than they give
(And whose significant other has their own place to live)
Someone who is open to differing views
(And whose life isn't ruled by drugs and booze)
Someone who thinks that love is still the best thing to be spoken (to a world that is broken).
Someone who wants to help bring life back into a sad old house
who lived on Capitol Hill
on a quiet street
between an "L" and a "T".
The room is going for $750/month plus utilities, not a bad deal at all in Capitol Hill these days. The poster is asking for poetic responses in kind, so if you're interested, break out that rhyming dictionary and get to it.
· Bright, spacious room on Capitol Hill, $750 + utilities [Craigslist]