There's a building at the corner of Rideau and Nicholas streets
A building forgotten for almost twenty years
Almost two decades of oblivion
Almost twenty years ignored
And when you tell people about it
And when you mention it
most people don't remember seeing it this huge building on Rideau street
most people have forgotten it this beautiful building on Nicholas
And yet
over twenty years ago it was called Ogilvy's
And yet
one hundred years ago it was called Ogilvy's
one of Ottawa's first department stores
famous for its Tartan boxes
and high-end products.
But today it's empty
abandoned forgotten
today
it's just another empty building
and no one knows what to do with it
with its Heritage designation
with its beautiful architecture
with its large store-front windows - blacked-out.
And now it's sad and lonely
and ignored
like the many homeless vagrants who surround it
who walk by it every day
The ones we forget
The ones we've ignored
The ones who slowly disappear
Waiting for the ones in charge
to do something
to take charge
to take a stand
And meanwhile
this beautiful old building
sits and waits
and slowly fades away in our memory
and slowly loses its charm in our eyes
and slowly becomes another derelict
forgotten ignored
lost
in this beautiful capital of ours.
