Monday, February 9, 2015

Mainstreet USA Revisited in Winter



Building a library of rare books, a lionine calling 
With some wear and foxing to frontispiece





Whenever there's a soft parade, the Flaneur notes the floats,



1.
One afternoon on the other side



Scuba shop with style





You hit this place before going on an underwater caper
Like a sixties undercover cop movie










May the past be with you,
The land of kookie kitsch,
Where everything was sort of cool





Remember swinging?
Me neither






Music From Another World,
A space age classic,
Remember to flip it over







Here comes the Coast Guard again








Not some sentimental nostalgia,
 This ain't McHales Navy Operation Petticoat








Just serious business,
 Homeland Security





December 2014






2.
So Early in the Year






In January in Northern California
You can lie in green grass





In winter the water is preternaturally calm,
Low tide is like the Bay went away







Peaceful afternoon on the submarine walkway






Over the sun's pathway 
On rolling lawns by the beach




Old-time design on Santa Clara
California dream house across from the bank



The Flaneur loves a mansarde
This reminds me of all the winter sunsets
Watched from an attic window in my family home




The bank itself,
Its design incorporates the street name,
Remnant of dignified times






No mystery to this dormant pole
The barber closed his business






The Guitar Army on parade,
Jim Morrison lived in Alameda as a youth
I once went to a record shop along here 
For an exhibition of Jim's high school age artwork,
Needless to say, it was a bit sick






Time for me to bounce on along
On my wheels of steel,
We wave goodbye Main Street USA



January 2015

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