joshua w.
i bought a few poems off of a guy that lived on the street in boone, north carolina. he included drawings. these are unrelated, but i liked each of them the best of what i have.
- True Prosperity
One guy come by and makes
everyone feel at home in 10 min.
someone else gives a flower or
a hug.
Each does his part
Hawk is opening a new outlet
ÂmT is now being employed
The cop's on time
Gene manages a local business
Each does his or her part
One brother pays for the coffee
One brother pays for dinner
We work to bring True Prosperity
Each does his or her part
So roll that
spirit tobacco
So drink that
strong brew esspresso
So applaud that
violin lute duet.
This is better than...
When all the marching is over
When all the jogging is run
When all works are finished
Then the whole building will be
properly built.
Each did his or her part
- joshua W., 1997
posted by ellis&lauren @ 7:14 PM
5 Comments:
Joshua W. = Joshua Watauga, a staple in Boone for at least a couple of decades.
He is a homeless man by choice with a slight leg deformity, giving him a very pronounced limp - however he walks 3 miles to and from his small shanty (he calls his teepee) each morning and evening to sit downtown and sell his rocks and poems.
While I beleive he actually spent this last winter in doors, most of Boone's brutal winters he has spent outside - in his shanty. He continues to work King Street (Downtown Boone) even through the hardest of weather.
My wife, kids, and I have given his poems (including the one that you posted) as Christmas presents for several years - albeit with mixed receptions :-)...
thanks for the information!
it was great talking with him, and great to see him smile when i showed interest in his work. it is all to rare to find someone transperantly genuine, passionate and positive.
there is a street musician in athens, ohio, that i have played with recently who shows the same qualities. ill be writing about him soon.
I recently saw this article and thought you would like to know...
Rumors of Joshua Watauga's death are premature
Published: 7:11 PM, 08/31/2009
by: Jeff Eason
Rumors of Joshua Watauga's death are indeed premature.
For the past few weeks, present and former Boone residents have been wondering where their favorite street person, Joshua Watauga, had gone.
Nearly a month ago, Watauga, collapsed behind the Burger King building in Boone.
After a stay at Watauga Medical Center, he was transferred to Wake Forest University's Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem on August 10.
According to a spokesperson at Baptist, Watauga is in stable condition and was admitted as a patient under the name Joshua "Doe."
That same spokesperson stated that the hospital is currently trying to find Joshua's next of kin and that several Baptist employees who remember him from their days at Appalachian State University have visited him in his room.
It is unclear whether Baptist Hospital assigned him the last name Doe or if that name came with him from Watauga Medical Center.
During the past few weeks, many present and former Boone residents have come forward with information about Joshua. While some of the information seems to be conjecture, some of it is solid fact.
Joshua was born as either Joshua Daniels or J.T. Kurylo on January 4, 1948. Many believe he was originally from the southern part of Pennsylvania. Most longtime Boone residents say that he first arrived in town and began selling poems on the King Street sidewalk in the early 1980s.
In a profile of Joshua by Leigh Ann Henion and published in the July 25, 2002 edition of The Mountain Times, Joshua indicated that he first came to Watauga County in 1978. Henion's story also mentioned Joshua's previous career as a professional musician who once performed on KPFA public radio in San Francisco.
One former Appalachian State University professor who lived on Deck Hill and gave Joshua a ride to his encampment said that Joshua stated that he had attended Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., in the early 1970s and that the Vietnam War had something to do with him leaving that college.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Joshua would make a near daily trek from his shack or campsite to Precision Printing, which at the time was located across from ASU in the building that is now home to Stick Boy Bread Co. There, he would make copies of his latest poems and stories, which he would then sell on King Street.
Although many people didn't realize it, Joshua had a business license from the Town of Boone permitting him to sell his stories on the street. He also maintained his voter registration status with Watauga County.
In addition to the rumor about Joshua Watauga's death, there has been plenty of speculation about what will happen to him once he leaves Baptist Hospital. Much of that depends on his health and the hospital's ability to contact any family that he might have.
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Hello!
My name is Brian Shumate from Boone, NC.
With help from other friends of Joshua, I've built a website for him at http://joshuawatauga.org/
We're collecting anecdotes and full stories about encounters with Joshua, and will eventually feature photographs, and his poetry as well.
We'd love to see your story and anything else you'd like to share on the website!
Regards,
Brian
Is there still a site where Joshua stories are shared?
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