Just waiting for you and spring...

Ode to the PortLand Malt Shoppe

WHAT ALL FILLING STATIONS
DREAM OF BECOMING

the girl said "1921" with conviction
informing moms and their toddlers,
sleepy teens, wayfaring early migrants,
of this ancient guilty pleasure's age

"enticing" or "enchanting" capture more
than simple savory delights or cool rewards
for a long drive north, a day's travails,
or a winter's worth of unthawed patience

neither rainbow flavors on two small boards,
nor beachy green and white striped eyelids
can upstage the tawny concrete embrace
of a seasoned, humble, friendly red brick heart

its siren call used to draw me ceaselessly,
my idiosyncratic order known within;
in recent years, a reverent wait enhances
just three stops:  early, middle and one late

no more fossil fuel, no more a fossil -
its eyes invite our easy daily pilgrimage;
deep into these warming nights we're called:
a languid neon summer metaphor:  "Open"

By Phil Fitzpatrick
Duluth, MN

Ice Cream Queen

PortLand Malt Shoppe is the ice cream queen
with malts in luxurious pinks and greens.
Made with chocolate chips and cocoa beans,
they're the biggest malts you've ever seen!

Here in Duluth, where can you go
for praline pecan and cookie dough?
Where servers scoop at a steady flow,
it's the PortLand Malt Shoppe, don't you know?

Sugar cones piled with mint chocolate chip
and chocolate malts that are worth a tip.
You'll fall in love after just one sip.
Now don't you think that's worth the trip?

By Meg Preston

PortLand Moments


We love to see the children

  Laughing and licking their cones

We love to see families together

  Hugging and happy in line


We love to see the puppies

  Running and wagging around the crowd

We love to see our crew happy

  Smiling and singing as they scoop


We love to see the lovers kiss

  Savoring and sipping their malts

We love to see the sunset and the moon rise

  Signaling and closing the summer days


We love to rise each morning

  To the pleasure and promise of the day

We love to open each season

  Welcoming and ready to play


By Sandra Ettestad

Poetry for the soul.