Ode to the Lunchbox
Stopped into the Lunchbox today
The quintessential
Gladwyne dining spot
Slated to depart at month’s end
Theo was there
The boss and overlord
Who has kept the diner alive
For the last five years
We chatted a bit
About this and that
And our mutual experiences
In the film business
Theo is cool
Besides the Lunchbox
He grows and harvests oysters
A whole other passion play
A reporter from the Inquirer stopped in
Taking notes and pictures
Of another neighborhood institution
About to go dark
She wondered
About what the Lunchbox meant
As a gathering place
And a legacy
We spoke about friends
And whom you would see from the neighborhood
Billionaires and just regular folks
All sitting together - dining on sandwiches and omelets
The talk wandered to the Guard House
Another Gladwyne landmark
That faded into the night
Still remembered fondly by those who were regulars
It was melancholy and a bit sad
Because the Lunchbox doesn’t have to close
Theo wants to keep going
But you need two to tango and I guess the landlord has other ideas
We’ll see what the take away will be
As the reporter closed up her notebook
And her photographer snapped away
Capturing moments which may fade way too soon
Gladwyne is changing quickly
The closings of the Guard House, the Acme and now the Lunchbox
Could change its complexion forever
And I’m not sure that’s a good thing
Sometimes
You just have to hope
As much as things change
They just stay the same.