The speaker in Gwendolyn Brooks’ twelve-line versanelle, “the vacant lot,” reveals her powers of observation as she reports on the character and activity of her former neighbors.
“Mrs. Coley’s three-flat brick”
The reason for the title of this versanelle, “the vacant lot,” is revealed in the first two lines, when the speaker reveals that the apartment building that contained three apartments, belonging to “Mrs. Coley” “Isn’t here any more.” She does not inform us how or why the building vanished, because her purpose is to express her relief that she is no longer forced to witness the perpetrators and the activities that occurred in that building.
“All done with seeing her fat little form”
The speaker then reports the first visual that now does not confront her eyes any longer as she looks out her window at the vacant lot. Her sight is no longer accosted by Mrs. Coley’s “fat little form” as it “bursts out of the basement door.” That occurrence is “all done.”
And the speaker seems quite glad. She expresses the fact as if it was something unpleasant that had to be accomplished; she continued to do it until it was finally finished or “all done.” She is “all done” with having to see that unpleasant little woman “burst out” from her “basement.”
“And with seeing her African son-in-law”
In addition to not having to view the obnoxious sight of Mrs. Coley herself, the neighbor/speaker also is “all done” with having to view her “African son-in-law.” The speaker discloses that she has been treated to the fact that this son-in-law was African royalty; Mrs. Coley has undoubtedly bragged about her special son-in-law as being “rightful heir to the throne” in some little African village that was probably the victim of a coup, causing the rightful king and his heirs to flee.
The neighbor/speaker spends four lines describing the “African son-in-law”; he has “great white strong cold squares of teeth / And [ ] little eyes of stone.” The speaker’s description of this man divulges her pleasure at not having to see him again.
“And with seeing the squat fat daughter”
A third pleasure for the neighbor is not having to see “the squat fat daughter,” who would, of course, be queen to the rightful heir to that faraway African throne that no longer exists. But especially pleasant is not having to see the daughter’s adultery, or even more likely prostitution. The speaker is “all done” with watching all those men arrive and the squat fat daughter “letting in the men.”
“When majesty has gone for the day”
After the rightful African queen’s rightful king leaves for the day, the squat fat daughter can be seen “letting in the men” and then “letting them out again.”
The speaker has demonstrated her relief at not having to watch this clownish, self-deceiving trio as she goes about her day. She finds herself completely comfortable and comforted with the visual of the vanished “three-flat brick.” It is “all done”—gone from the neighborhood and at least one neighbor finds its empty replacement very satisfying.
Linda Sue Grimes - As a writer, researcher, and SRF devotee, Linda Sue Grimes has studied poetry and practiced Kriya Yoga for over thirty years..
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