Oakland Babylon

in progress

 

 

 

Roll up

 the dark carnival that never ends

it just moves the police tape

 

In broad daylight

in a Broadway crosswalk

 

Super sexy heroes

 

Revelers

All smiles

 

Despite the attention of a

verbalizing African American man

overenthusiastic over

the voluptuous ladies

 

 

As they sweep past 

One wearing a décolleté gown

The other a see-through body stocking

that's all behind her

Not everyone is so

extravagantly dressed

for what I think is

Comic Con 2018

Motorcycle cops underscore

 a heavy police presence

a few blocks from police headquarters

Someone may have called the cops

about Black men wearing masks

(Nice kids actually)

And there is...



A Black sports idol on every pole,
The cops are abundant
because tonight's basketball
is to be a very big game
won by the local heroes
and the party is on ninth after it

 

This guy was great

middle-aged mad scientist

but I couldn't get a 

full frontal exposure

 

 

Based I think on

odd comics or something

I admit I don't get

 

 

Queen Bee

of her peer group 

 

Next Day

Comic Con is winding

down with a private sidewalk party

Here anybody making money

can just inconvenience the public

 

 Early exits

leave you wanting more

What will you miss?

 

 

Time to cross the line

that separates us

from make-believe

 

 They'll always be next year

until there isn't

see you then

 

 Next comes

Burger Boogaloo

 

 

Hosted by John Waters

 the least repressed

the most anarchistic

Catholic saint ever was

 

 

Eldritch Punk and New Wave acts

turn up for a pogo and a hamburger

every year in Mosswood park

 

Sign on BART elevator

at Rockridge

Yes it's come to this

Talk about the truth of

Devolution

Then the elevator door opened

 

Over the incessant traffic

I manage to avoid

Mount Tamalpais hovers

over a urban copse

 

There's another one

of these dumbos

saluting the Oakland As

 

Down at Jack London Square

 

I had just seen this same truck

near my pad

figure it deserves a portrait

 

 Meanwhile it's ethnic
war all the time
Video gaming addiction
has been judged a mental illness

Nevertheless
 

Every once in a while
one may meet
an elegant lady

 

 

 

June 2016

 

 

I Go Some More a-Maying

A creepy figure awaits

Goofing around town

is never goofier

than circa now

Old Oakland

has new flags

of which I approve

Spray can tagging

loud canned music

garish decorations

Oakland celebrates sports

This elephantine Rat Fink

for an example

The Oakland A's

Oakland proud

 

Pachyderms
piss where they please

 

 

Darkness encroaches

Psychedelic

 cloudscape

A day of New Boots

Put a spring in my step

After the boot shop

I 'm up here

 

On top of campus again

Western vista

with Bay, Marin headlands

and Golden Gate

Looking East

East of the East Bay

Up campus vista

an uphill slog

Mountain lions draw near

The piano player

don't shoot

He was florid

but not too light

in his loafers

The notes fly upwards

where I am

I always am

Brown boots

turn noir at night

May sunset

the clouds gently

explode

Sunday 

 National Accordion Day

 

Mountain Milk Maid

Tuesday Afternoon

They are ubiquitous

overnight

Outside the enduring

Irish dive

on College Avenue

But this is a swanky neighborhood

full of affluent newlyweds

A toast to those

with the most

Good times

bad times

you know

I've had my share

5-8 May 2018