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Friday, July 8, 2011

Independence Day


We galloped into the waves, fearless of any inhibition,
Playing midgets in the sea, floating aimlessly,
Laughing for laughing's sake. Sunshine
exhausting our eyes, until evening shadows cast.
The same blood flowed through all our veins. 
We were connected then. Perfection in breathlessness
In your company running in circles on the shoreline.

The freeway was a traffic jam of flashing lights
on cars and explosions in the sky. New Port Avenue was 
plastered in marshmellows and crazy people. 
I got hit by one, by a marshmellow I mean. 
Men sipping slow drags off long joints, thick smoke. 
Sloppy drunks pounding their tattooed fists on hot dog stands.
I grabbed some Mexican food to go among the chaos
stuffing my face while memorizing their madness. 

Our faces devoid of grins, heads whirling with curses,
Then a tall skinny boy-man skipped down the street stopping, 
foot midair, "Why are you all so angry? You need a drink!" 
"I'm not angry!" Denied, I lied. "Maybe you're not, but
Come with me to the barmobile! For smiles and happiness!" 
He skipped away to the liquor store on the corner.
I passed by him later, poor fool, long arms flung 
passed out on the curb of Newport Avenue.
Smashed marshmellows to rest his dreaming head. 

6 comments:

  1. I like this. but a lot of the "I"'s should have been "we"'s cuz we all did all of this together.

    -D.T.

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  2. I meant it to be "I" cuz who was anyone thinking of but themselves.

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  3. I don't think that was true, every moment, and at least not every person, every moment (M&D did a lot for us). Especially during the weekend. The week, yes, more so.
    -DT

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  4. Well this poem is specifically about how WE were joyful together at the beach like I imagine family to be, but when we're angry its all I, and me. It's also about what to do about it. The silly high boy drowns his sorrows, I hold them bitterly. What's right? I just want things to be like they were in the ocean.

    This is my perspective. I know when I'm having anger issues, it's usually because I'm only thinking about me. I'm an island.

    When we get along, there is a sense of "us" and "we" because we're connected.

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  5. That's interesting. But when we're all angry, we're all collectively being islands, and I feel that happens a lot.

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  6. ha, I love the line "I grabbed some Mexican to go among the chaos,"
    I always think you're talking about a mexican person and you're grabbing them to go off dancing with them.

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