AFTER AN EVENING OF POETRY AND WINE
I take the bus beginning in Chinatown
8:45 pm first day
the clock falls back
one hour
Oct. 26
the year of our grace.
Black, yellow and green cars
turn a sharp corner
by one way sign
Stockton, Pacific.
Above,
Venus, an evening star,
appears first time
in 3,600 yrs
overlooking
The Age Of Aquarius.
I get off bus. Climb a hill,
the moon,
windy evening.
The line between
commitment and obsession
is as invisible
as the truth of a
popular song.
Cala Foods is open 24 hrs
at California & Hyde.
Man, the keeper of animals
is a deeply felt thought
as I travel south
only to realize
by example
waiting for the bus
is a spiritual test
or an act of necessity
in my modern life.
Tough corner.
Dirty sidewalk.
89 cents for a cigarette lighter.
A young woman
in fake fur coat
suddenly isn’t so young
when she rants against
fornication and injustice.
But at this time of night
a mother kisses her baby
on the ear
& exact change is very handy
when boarding a bus
without a transfer
in San Francisco.
Hotels and seniors
in white shirts
old godfather Tenderloin
and action videos cost 25 cents
where the driver
lets 92 cents go for a dollar
because of dignity
& an easy run
down the hill.
If happiness is in the moment
love is still
the central force
I see out the window
in the apogee
of a
Self Service Car Wash
South of Market.
Bus. Stoplight.
Bay Bridge, left turn.
We go
south
where I get off
but nearly forget
to ring
the bell
I am so busy
writing this down.
© Tony Vaughan
APPROACHING DESIRE
The harp
of the world
begins its slow
part.
A pigeon
floats above
a trash can.
Sunlight
as gold as
a spontaneous
act of kindness
refuses to leave
not so high
above a confidence of trees,
North Beach,
Washington Square Park.
A galloping
red & brown dog
the big cathedral
across
stubborn
grass.
Mist arrives
as a flawless day
begins to break
away from
the world.
Song of an ocean meadow
by a pine tree where
another spirit
walks to the left, muttering
hands together.
Should we be so relaxed
in this democracy?
Black shoes.
Airplane.
An almost baby girl aspires
to ride
a tricycle
dodging
a fat man
who carries
a cane
and a smirk.
The night is crashing
into the
end of
a late afternoon.
Heart & synapse
don’t stop working.
The electricity of thought
leads to wonder.
Not even angels know
if they are
themselves
all the time.
© Tony Vaughan |
UPCOMING EVENT
Thurs. June 26, 2008
Live Worms Gallery, 1345 Grant Ave.
bwt. Vallejo/Green, North Beach- S.F.
ART SHOW ~ ONE NIGHT ONLY
~STRIKING TWELVE~
Posters from Past events
Drawing Near the Cloud Heights
An Evening of Music Poetry and Song
Rites of Love
Hymns To The Beloved
Return of the Red Comet
Catch The Duende
The Blue Unicorn
© Tony Vaughan
all rights reserved
Paintings by Tony Vaughan
mixed media
click thumbnail to view larger
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Rainmaker |
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Mr. Maji |
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Red Swan |
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