San Francisco Day

 

Took Jill to San Francisco for the day

By way of Larkspur ferry

Landmark bridge, Alcatraz, a pyramid.

Blue sky, white wake, brown exhaust

Bay breeze awakening my ears

 

Embarcadero walk up to Coit Tower

Climbs brick steps ‘top Telegraph Hill.

Vista’d Bay, blue hazed hills at the rim

I see clear out to horizon’s limit,

Three-bridge bay view of islands and town

 

No parrots visible here on the hill today

just my orange meditation and lunch.

Rest for a while, regain strength for descent.

There are cable cars at Fisherman’s Wharfe

Down in the crowd, by Pier 39.

 

Cheap tourist trinkets all around

Here a fire eater captured a crowd

Cool photo gallery catches the eye

With images, windows of natural grace

While sea lions bark outside in the sun

 

North Beach sunny Thursday

Dante Divine @ Union & Stockton

Dubonnet in the afternoon

Cappuccino with Alex,

And Coke for Jill, and friends

 

Dark beans in a jar, ground to dust

Flavor milk froth spoon thick

Cast iron teapots black on a shelf.

Sound of jazz combo thrumming behind.

Now on up the hill into Chinatown

 

Suddenly foreign with senses awash

Jostling, teeming small sidewalk stores

With snatches of alien conversation

Live fish, big frogs, writhing crabs in a tank

Hebal store tang is not quite familiar

 

A picture of Merry at Chinatown gate

To left are the canyons of a business preserve

It’s five-o clock as tall buildings empty

A woman in pin stripe hurries by

Traffic is backed up, restrained by red lights

 

Purposeful people stride on their way

Straight past their lunchtime bistros and delis

While we look for snacks to eat on the way

Toward ferry terminal clock tower

Concrete wedding cake pillared tier upon tier

 

As we wait, commute crowds start to depart

Those specialty stores with specialty foods

Take home ingredients for gourmet meals.

Outside we face the bay’s failing light

A bench built for three doesn’t work with four

 

Our ferry is plugging its way to the pier

Followed by a second and watched by the gulls

Circling below the America Airlines airport jet

Loading dock ramps are raised in salute

As catamaran ferries draw close alongside.

 

Bay waters ripple with luminous light

A Golden Gate sunset, bikes hung on a rack.

Close by San Quentin a kayaker bobs

Caught in two wakes as two ferries pass

Larkspur lights are near; “oh, where is our car”?