Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Ode to my little town.

Today I got the bug to go for a walk (which is a bug I often get), so I put on my rainy day best, traipsed over to the coffee shop, and then continued on the five (or so) more blocks to the park. The park, in fact, that J and I will be married at 8 months from yesterday. Eee! I couldn't help but notice all sorts of sights and sounds as I strolled and sipped, and once I got to the park felt compelled to write a little ditty about it. But before we get to my poem, I'd like to make a couple of observations about  the town in which I live.

I can't imagine a more friendly place in LA county - I mean seriously, one of the reasons I love walking is that I'm bound to run into someone. Whether it's someone I know or someone I'm to meet for the first time is no matter. And when you do meet someone here, the conversation goes a little something like this:

(two people, demographically very different, standing on the corner of M and L  Avenues, waiting for the crosswalk light to change)
Person 1: Hello.
Person 2: Good morning.
(slight pause)
Person 2: So, do you work here on M Ave?
Person 1: Nope! I live here.
Person 2: Me too! I live over in the L Apartments
Person 1: Nice. I'm over on V Ave, by the high school. It's a nice day for a walk (gesturing towards the sky)
Person 2: Yep. It's a nice day to spend money...(chuckles, lifting up the shopping bag in his right hand)
Person 1: (smiles)
Person 2: The wife's a little mad at me, so I went out and bought her some shoes.
(Both people chuckle)
Person 1: Well, enjoy your day!
Person 2: You as well!
They part ways.

My point is, we're all proud of where we live, and meeting a neighbor on the street is somewhat like meeting a classmate in college and discovering you live in the same dorm. I've never lived in a place where you tell strangers on the corner what street you live on as a part of general conversation. There's an understanding here that everyone in this town is a neighbor, and that neighbors are good people. And I just plain like that, which is why I plan to stick around.

And, no, our street names are not letters of the alphabet...but I have to maintain some anonymity since this blog is out there on the World Wide Web, which is full of nice people who would want to live in my town and mean people who would like to stalk me if they knew where I lived (I mean, I hope not, but a little playing it safe never hurt anyone). So to all you people in hyperspace, you're just going to have to wonder. Unless you know me personally :) 

Oh, and be expecting an update on my "urban homesteading" projects soon. A teaser: there's a lot to write about, and things are going well.

Ok, now to the word-art.

My Town, On a Mid-October Morning

grey skies
chirping birds (squawking parrots)
dancing cacti
friendly faces at the coffee shop

rain sprinkles down like glitter on an art project
pomegranates blushing, ruddy pink among green leaves
the neighborhood is damp
the air is easy to breathe
                           crisp
                           cool
                           refreshing
every sound takes on a softened tone, every color a new hue against the cushioned gray sky
the air is still, the world waits
(in glad anticipation, not bracing itself)
for the downpour

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