Monday, September 14, 2020

echo park winter 1966-67

i caught a drive-a-way car
from pittsburgh to los angeles
just after my temp job ended
and a bulletin board 
led me to share a drive/ride
out of the cold sleet
escaping 'cross the country
landing in almost endless sunshine
on the door step of a friend
i felt somewhat imposing on
but hey when you're young
you have no inhibitions 

m had an old mg with the top off
almost all the time and it
brought us to griffith park
many days like a grand prix circuit
the observatory day or night
seemed like one of those great wonders
you heard about 
but never experienced coming from
darkness-at-the-break-of-noon

a car full one morning took us to delano 
to volunteer some hours 
with the farm workers union
we were warmly greeted by dolores huerta
and piles of flyers & envelopes for a mailing
back in l.a. there were picket lines to join 
at the safeway stores
for the grape boycott 
(or was it the gallo wine boycott at that time?)

if judy collins had ever knocked
on the door in echo park
she probably would have been greeted
by thirsty boots and other songs
from her fifth album

the mosaics of watts towers
took us to the beyond 
a place before the land 
was sacrificed

i think many of us 
still look to the beyond

let us all be whole
     once again     
with the land     forests     oceans
     our bodies
i thank all from whom i have learned
     we have but one language

--- e b bortz

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