666 Alverstone Ave.

By Gerry Stefanson

We present a poem by Gerry Stefanson, a Writers Group member. As Hallowe'en approaches, we can find ourselves drawn to the more macabre or those questionable events that may be easily explained, but sometimes not.

This poem was inspired by the true tale of two high school chums who rented a garret loft together at 616 Alverstone Avenue in Winnipeg while attending the University of Manitoba.

Was it haunted, as another tenant suggested? Trick-or-treaters never darkened the door despite the decorations and treats.

The house at 616 Alverstone Ave. was built in 1914 by Bjorn Petursson, a Memorable Manitoban of Icelandic descent. It remains a heritage building of historical value [1]. Do they know it was haunted??

666 Alverstone Ave.

By Gerry Stefanson

It called me

as Ric spoke on Ellice Ave car to car, him to me

both on a separate hunt for the same place

per chance or not where called now we arrived

we didn’t know but we knew when it spied us

we moved in a week later

him to his own new business me to college

we all got an education.

It all worked or began to

It called us all.

1st we were never sure

then we knew we were

a tale that retells itself

chess plays the players move

we all happy to be there played

then the game played out in earnest.

“other tenants” took their side

board changed not all black/white

not all red/black  all convoluted 

our playbook was a blank page

yet didn’t have a Crayola 

others on their game

clipboards, note, mail.

we believed a monk was without his habit

A wife with a husband whose costume was “wife beater shirt”

A baby without kind parents

A gun minus shells 

A set of shells with a secret under one

A frying pan without a steak

A heart that needed a stake through it

A head, arm, full of stiches, broken glass

A pair of cops who didn’t use hand cuffs

A celebrities proff. who helped make a deal

A whack of quick solid advice

A match that didn’t strike

An old address with almost another ghost

To add to it’s invisible mail box list.

* This poem has been published by Spillwords Press, where Gerry has had a number of his poems published.

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Sources

Masniuk, T.. (04 Oct 1996). “Petursson House Reveals Treasures”. Lögberg-Heimskringla.p1,2. Retrieved from https://timarit.is/page/2240478 

“616 Alverstone Street - Bjorn Petursson House.” (18 Sept 2016.) In Winnipeg Places [Blog]. Retrieved from https://winnipegdowntownplaces.blogspot.com/2016/09/616-alverstonestreet-bjorn-petursson_18.html

Kramer, N., G. Penner, and G. Goldsborough. (13 Aug 2022). “Historic Sites of Manitoba: Petursson House (616 Alverstone Street, Winnipeg).” In Manitoba Historical Society Archives. [Website]. Retrieved from https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/peturssonhouse.shtml

Peterson Projects. (Feb 2009). “616 Alverstone Street - Bjorn Petursson House.” Retrieved from https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/ppd/Documents/Heritage/HeritageResourcesReports/Alverstone-616-summary.pdf