"Lost Angeles”

Wednesday night...went out for a late bite at a very trendy spot
She made me go
And because I have declared "Now is the time to follow"..... I do.

Though we are surrounded by everything I so detest about "Los Angeles"
The city of facade....Facade being logistically/geographically pretty much
anywhere west of Chavez Ravine ... China Town ... Olvera Street ...

Even though we are surrounded by
                "THAT"
We are for the most part ignoring
                 "IT"

There were moments:
We would take little breaks from our loosing ourselves in ourselves
Observing others, we for some reason both focused on a gay couple at a table
across the room
Their faces close
The conversation seemingly intense yet intimate
I surmised it was a first or second date
She thought just the opposite
Their last most likely
I go along with her conclusion to our fictitious game
We feel bad

We finish
We leave

Picture:
Groovy spot... Old building from the time when this city had soul.
Groovy people... Transplants on missions.
Groovy cars... Image is everything.
Facade after facade.

All either oblivious to or purposely blind to

A beautiful faced homeless older black gentleman
Laying on the sidewalk not twenty feet from the entrance to Groovyland
Laying between two parking meters, a small Tupperware container, next to a
crumpled blanket on which he was half way on and most of the way off
In the cup... A sampling of coins
Feet..legs..upper torso... On the sidewalk
Right shoulder and arm...hanging lifelessly between the curb and the right
front tire of the car parked at one of the previously referred to parking
meters
Head... Drooped and hanging slightly forward of said tire

I stop - simultaneously reaching into my pocket... leaning down and telling
him sternly to wake up and pull himself out of the street so I can hand him
some money...  All the singles I had on me...I don't know... Maybe five or
six bucks

He being a truly lost angel in Lost Angeles and barely turning his dangled
head to glance my way said .... "Huh?"
To which I said "I want to give you some money but you're falling off the
curb into the street" and I continued "Give yourself at least enough respect
to get your head out of the street"
To which he replied, with a bit of a twinkle in his eyes... "No man,,, I'm
not in the street. I'm on the edge"
He laughed
I laughed

But later
At home
In bed
Naked
Her wrapped tightly in my arms
I cried.