Monday, May 5, 2014

an american poet writes home


i was born in santa monica

in the county of los angeles

kennedy was still president

 

during the turbulent 60s

after saturday morning cartoons

i would play on the swing set

in my parent’s backyard

pretending i was tarzan

 

in the 70s

i was whatever would

get a girl to kiss me

 

in the 80s

i grew my hair

wrote poetry

and drifted from

job to job

 

in the 90s

well, it was over

i entered my thirties

and even though

i would go on to be

a published novelist

earn a 3rd degree black belt

in karazenpo go shinjutsu

and learn the bible so well

i held my own

in a theological discussion

with a man who had his

doctorate of divinity

i’m not sure any of it was me

 

i didn’t find my voice again

until last november’s end

when i wrote

“i almost remember”

and began all i had to say

about the dark streets of decay

 

tomorrow i think i will go

to the santa monica pier

walk underneath and wonder

on what spot i was conceived

 

i’ll find the homeless

who sleep on the cliffs above

pass out cigarettes

and have conversations

about unrequited love

 

and if any of those homeless

turns out to be a female

i will propose on the spot

 

i’ll be the shelter

and she’ll be the cot

and together with pillows

and coats without feathers

we will beg at the banquet of love

 

recycle our mounds of

bottles and cans

roam until midnight

bleaches out our tans

 

and on hollywood boulevard

no one will ask

if we want a tour

they will just assume we are locals

 

presidents will be sworn in

soldiers will finally get to come home

corporations will continue

their battle to eliminate minimum wage

and the light from extinguished stars

will continue to travel

while physicists continue to unravel

and rape the mysteries of ignorance

 

she and i will define romance

relevant and indifferent

lost in an unmade bed

unapprised of the most recent

things being said

as the world goes on without us

 

***

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