Nameless Day
by Daniel Cox
On this nameless day
The funeral procession
For tomorrow was way into session
The paid mourners and host alike
Were wailing and sobbing in unison.
Dressed in sack cloth and ashen faces,
Moved in the sad beat of the drum.
The demise of tomorrow set in stone.
Tomorrow will never come.
A passage in our Feb. 6 story, “A fresh
new start,” unintentionally implies that the
East African All-Stars, a group of Somali
American teens who have created their
own basketball league, is a project of
IRCO. It is a project of the Somali
American Council of Oregon.
Answers to puzzles on page 15
Street Roots • February 13-19, 2015
Vendors
Page 6
Aileen and Charles began selling the
paper shortly after relocating to Portland
from Salem a few months ago. Since
meeting through a common friend five years
ago, Charles and Aileen have been
companions who have bonded
BY AARON VON REYN
through joys as well as past
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R ITER
trauma.
“If it wasn’t for
hances are, if you’ve been out to S t
Charles and Jack, I
Johns on the weekends, you’ve run
don’t know how I’d
into Aileen or Charles at their selling
spots two blocks apart on North Lombard. survive staying out
somedays,” Aileen
Whether it’s a soggy Saturday farmers’
says. These tyro
market or a lazy, sunny Sunday, you’ll be
seem to have
greeted by the warmth and positivity of
found
these two vendors. And of course you can’t
111DOB PBOFItE
Charles and Alleen
B
miss One-Eyed Jack, their “aggressively
happy” charmer of a dog who often sports a
Street Roots vest fashioned by Aileen
herself.
Although they sell in close proximity,
j
these two have very different styles and J
demeanors. Charles, who describes
himself as quiet, might be secretly
singing a triumphant song in his head.
Aileen, on the other hand, can rattle
off a list of names of all the people
she’s met in her time working in the
neighborhood,, clearly enjoying
socializing and chatting with customers
and passersby..'alike. “We joke sometimes
that I’m his voicebox,” Aileen says with a
chuckle.
A self-described “jack of all trades,
master of none,” Aileen says she chooses to
express herself in myriad ways, from the
embellishments and alterations of her
clothes to the personalized jewelry she
made (or Jack. And of coursei her notebook
of drawings and poetry is always close at
hand for when inspiration strikes.
Dignity
Poverty
s m a ll
open to all 9am- 19pm d aily
Please report any errors to our managing
editor, Joanne Zuhl, at 503-228-5657, or write
to joanne@streetroots.org
the sweet spot after relocating from a less-
active section of the Woodlawn
neighborhood. Aileen cites “all the
interesting people” in St. Johns as a perk of
the trade, as well as the autonomy that
comes with selling the paper.
Comparing it with past work, Aileen
proudly says that now “I’m the authority
figure.” This control over their work,
coupled with their involvement in the
community at Dignity Village, has led to a
newfound stability uncommon in their
Respective pasts. Perhaps their
'
greatest peace of mind comes
from their strong
relationship. “Charles
. has been the most
stable person in my
Jife.” Aileen says. “I
t don’t know how I
> got so lucky.”
Over G million people worldwide vole for dignity over poverty
when they htty street press. By doing so, they help vendors
in 4« countries, selling over too different titles, to change
their lives. In return, readers enjoy quality, independent
journalism. in the knowledge that they've made a difference.
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