The Poor Man's Bar - As told by Chuck Richardson

This is a video interpretation of a poem called "The Poor Man's Bar". The paintings of the characters are friends and not the real people in the poem. "Burn It On Down" is one of my original songs. And the band at the end playing "Stormy Monday" is Gunpoint with Jerry Branch singing and me sitting in on Hammond organ.
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Megumi and I had just begun, what would turn out to be, a nearly two-year separation. It was the hardest thing I'd ever gone through. I took work with FEMA, after Hurricane Marilyn devastated the islands, just to get as far away from my problems as possible. I wrote this poem while taking refuge in the best little bar in the US Virgin Islands. They'd give you the bottle, and you poured your own drink. I stumbled across it on the first night because it was the only place open. But as time went on, and conditions improved, it was the only place I wanted to be. I'd sit at the end of the bar and jot down notes about the day's activities when inevitably someone nearby would draw me, first, into their voice and, finally, into their story. The characters I met there revealed a little more of themselves each day. I guess I was one of those characters as well. It was a strange place and a very strange time. I know the Poor Man's Bar still exists today and I often wonder if any of these people still haunt it.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• The Warehouse
• The Poor Man's Bar
• Red Hook
• St. Thomas
• US Virgin Islands
• USVI
• VI
• pour your own drinks

[BringPeaceNotPain]

Love this...a tad different from the Poor Man's Bar in late 70's/early 80's...but feelings were the same.

[IVP3034101725]

Thanks, I love hearing from people who've been there. Think how many stories there must be.

[hbdoggie]

Double post....my bad!

[hbdoggie]

I was a regular patron of PMB in 1978 (I think it was) I was working on a cruising houseboat that was hauled out at the boatyard in the lagoon (the "Johnny Walker"). The original PMB was an old, very "berthy" sailboat that was named IIRC the Pinnafore that had been beached and buried to a depth that was just the right height to sit outboard at the rail, in the stern. Various awnings of canvas were rigged to keep the sun /rain off the patrons and beverage counselor.I Still have a tee shirt !

[hbdoggie]

I was a regular patron of PMB in 1978 (I think it was) I was working on a cruising houseboat that was hauled out at the boatyard in the lagoon (the "Johnny Walker"). The original PMB was an old, very "berthy" sailboat that was named IIRC the pinnafore that had been beached and buried to a depth where it was just the right height to sit outboard at the rail, in the stern. Various awnings of canvas were rigged to keep the sun /rain off the patrons and beverage counselor.I Still have a tee shirt !

[ROBsttvi]

Yeah, it used to be the last of the real bars in St. Thomas. You poured your own, ice cold beers, a good poor table, late hours. A dark place...an escape from the merciless sun. Now it has a new owner, new outlook...good wings but not the same. Life changed when the gambling machines came in; just like most of the real bars in the world. Bless you Poor Man's Bar Fly Friends.

[sasenecal56]

You are so right BringPeaceNotPain, very different.... Poor Man's was not "Upstairs". At the time Larry owned it. I used to be so afraid of him....he would randomly cuss people out....The first time I ordered vodka and tonic, I thought poor just a shot, so he doesn't yell at you. I picked up the tonic, and Larry yells at me, "put some more goddamn vodka in it, tonics expensive!!" After that we never had any words.......great breakfast, lunch, and dinners.......