The Streets of LA

27 March 2021 Saturday Poetry Prompt: processional narrative

Walking along the streets, hot Santa Ana winds blowing in my face; air filled with grit and the smell of stale beer — Cars passing hood to trunk in endless caravans, music blaring as a distraction, as noise to block out the sameness that hovers over all, like morning mists over Verdun.

Feet aching from the miles, heart aching from a sense of inversion — I am moving but falling further and further behind. Thinking but coming up shy of anything meaningful. Where are the questions when so many answers are all around me?

Yellow lights caution me — wait. Horns blare- wait. People moving too slow, too fast, not at all — wait. Red light, green light come and go — thoughts circling overhead like seagulls taunting — when do we eat? Questioning my right to be, my attempts to elude wraiths whispering in tongues — you’re not listening.

Walking up to a street vendor selling fruit and lemonade. Selling relief and freedom from; selling maps to the hereafter, neatly folded and trimmed in gold. Solo un trago para mi, senor. He smiles and hands me a slip of paper.

A shadow seeps through the bright sunlight; darting between yesterday and forever. It slides up to me, and walks alongside. Making shadow puppets on the shimmering pavement. I stop and push it away. It returns. I shout — stay away. It turns in pirouette — graceful, its shadow arm touching my face. Tu ne peux pas me cacher — je te vois.

Walking together. Fading in and out of focus. Its thoughts become my thoughts. Why are you here?

Church bells shout out over the square. Voices recede, People slow and step inside themselves. I am alone at the counter. I hand the ancient man my slip of paper — his spectacles slide down onto his nose as he reads it — Two pastrami sandwiches on rye — and two Dr. Brown Black Cherry sodas. Both with mustard?

I nod and wonder where life is going. Who is driving and if smoking is allowed.

This prompt made me think of my home city. I’ve walked the streets of LA for decades. One doesn’t usually think of walking in Los Angles, but it does happen. I find that I never really end up where I’m going. Funny how that is.

J.D. Harms Karen Madej Dr Mehmet Yildiz Paul Myers MBA George J. Ziogas Amy Marley Harley King Tim Maudlin James Knight Salvatore Cagliari Caroline de Braganza janny’s heart Michele Thill Trista Ainsworth Kira Dawn Eli Snow ScienceDuuude Britni Pepper Desiree Driesenaar Liam Ireland Gurpreet Dhariwal R Tsambounieri Talarantas Paroma Sen Adelia Ritchie, PhD Terry L. Cooper Noorain Hassan, BMS Maryam Merchant Jenine Bsharah Baines