Evidently Fourth Dimension

The Flaneur summons several recent scenarios in search as ever of the proximate zeitgeist.

Easter Sunday was last day of March, sunny and brisk. I set out walking for a new venue in my old neighborhood. For the better past of two decades, I lived on Woolsey street above Telegraph. This was the real Berktown bordertown area where historic marches were opposed and stopped or scattered by the militaristic Oakland police in the anti-War sixties. And where for generations before that a kind of interzone,a liquor-abundant supply depot one mile down the line from UC Berkeley's ever-thirsty students.
Alone among the enterprises to persist in its nuisance is the White Horse bar and the White Horse liquor store, historically tied but perhaps no longer connected as businesses today. Since before World War II, the homosexual demimonde has found the White Horse bar a friendly and accommodating place.

Nearby, representing yet another generational swerve is the recent-opened Stranded record shop --specializing in vinyl LPs. The name is short for Stranded in Oakland I believe. Wondering as I have been about such a fate myself these days, it fit my mood.
Today Stranded is hosting a free performance by the intriguing Bonnie Prince Billie and a singing partner. Songs originally recorded by the timeless Everly Brothers predominated. Prince Billie, formerly Will Oldham and formerly of the Palace Brothers is a shining exemplar, not to say hero, of the new Americana movement in popular music. He has a fine voice and plays guitar well; he effortlessly enlists one in the honesty of his schtick.
As I walked up it seemed that the four or five people ahead of me had already been stopped due to the packed state of  the record shop, a single oblong room. Despite my landing quite wide of the demographic both inside and outside I was nevertheless more or less determined that my two mile walk be not in vain. People milled outside to catch what they could lof the show, but there would be no usable audio reaching these tired ears out there with traffic going by. Luckily the guy-who-works-there took pity on this unlikely cat and allowed me to squeeze into a corner spot. We chatted and he warmed to me a bit. It turned out that a colleague from Negativland (semi-defunct) was working the sound for this.
A cool little stage was erected down the far end with dance-hall girl velvet curtains. At last the musicians emerged and took the stage with only acoustic guitars and microphones. So despite the airless heat during the 90 minutes I was there, the sound was all pleasure and no  pain.



(more later)

Asteroid Miss, Meteor Hit

The Flaneur recalls the fifteenth of February, in many regards a singular day. A balmy mid-winter day with sparkling sunshine encouraged my adventure by train to the Embarcadero in San Francisco. There I sat out on a pedestrian pier and had lunch. These were random jottings from my perch above the placid bay waters.



wanting someone who does not want you
can be a form of hatred
-----wantred


indigo girl
passes by on the pier
who does not want you?


three or four futuristic sail units
towed by power boats
like slender billboards


perpetual swivel seat
cartoon rocket ship replica
retro pyramid building


bridge tourniquet



appearance of a rolling breaker
perpendicular to shore



there's always someone else in san
 francisco


three thirty bells toll
four descending
four ascending



jack herrer, grand-daddy purple
even leftover girl scout cookies
too high to go to Mass
(by a long shot)



Port of San Francisco

70 degrees on a calm bay
no large ships
scant traffic
remote sailboats
the ferries come and
are gone
come again
turn around to reverse in quietly





by accident I
saw my butt in the mirror
     last night
---mistake

15 February 2013

Mid-Winter Still

The Flaneur admits to being a bit attenuated these days, and hereby offers, again, instead of a regular column, these few haiku.
With a dedication to my fellow Massachusetts natives still there and all who endure the wrath of Nemo. We left for California after the blizzard of 1978.

1.

hummingbirds orbit
      the saturnine bird feeder
in light rain

2.

outside my window
      spider against the night fog
how lonely it is

3.

headlights in the hills
      oscillate along the ridge
furtive high school noir

late January-early February

Festival of Lights

The Flaneur's heart heads upward like a loose ember from a holiday bonfire.

1.

at new year midnight
     silent bike glides below
screen-lit handlebars

2.

street in early dark
     little girl walks home with dad
light show on her shoes

3. 

stars slip past soundless
     for the most part unobserved
night has no mirror

1-7 January 2013

For Auld lang Syne

The Flaneur extends his good will  for peace and hope to all.




               Solstice


A colossal rainbow
     doubling tripling like acid
my shoulders shiver

22 December 2012

Deep Autumn Thoughts

As the early evening descends, the Flaneur inclines toward the crepuscular.







the moon is near
the planet is far
but not as far
as the glistening star







a misty nimbus
      surrounds the orange moon
as solid as glass







a strange fog crept in
      faraway trees are sky bound
turned into half tones






it's somewhat touching
      church bells muffled by rain
ring the wrong number







wan november sun
      over the intersection
hawk on a cable







when I'm in chapel
it's like being by the sea
only it's more vast

deep fall 2012

Haunts

1. All Hallowed's Eve

black cat naps on stairs
         legs flung over a pumpkin
vintage hallowe'en

2. All Saints Day

old master cloud head
     beyond the bright green parkscape
in timeless quiet

3. All Souls Day

the skull-like moonrise
     lamps the spectral ceiling
stadium of souls

31 October-2 November