THESE SOUR TIMES


i'd just finished cleaning beach sand from my feet and
sandals and had thrown the towel into the car's trunk
when i hear a woman's voice

" do you know how to get to abbot kinney? "

i turn towards her

" i parked my car on abbott kinney and don't remember
how to get there "

she's wearing a short white dress with big yellow and
red dots, a green blouse and a beige fisherman's hat
over twin ponytailed hair. after a moment's thought

" yeah, infact i do, it's several blocks away "

and point down the street. she puts her left hand on her hip,
looks down the block and frowns a bit

" is it that far? "

i close my car's trunk

" it's a couple minutes drive, may i offer you a ride? "

she smiles

" would you? that'd be great! "

i unlock and open the front passenger door, let her in,
walk to the driver's side get in, start the car and off we go
she's excited about obama. i ask why

" because he's about hope you know? and that's what
we need because without hope everything's hopeless
you know? "

i glance at her legs

" really? what about hillary? "

she laughs

" hillary? that clucking hen? that's all she is a clucking hen! "

i look at her face, she has freckles and green eyes

" a clucking hen, huh? "

i laugh with her as we reach abbott kinney

" there's my car "

she points to a blue honda minivan. i stop besides it

" listen i'm looking for a beautiful woman like you
for a lover, are you available? "

she smiles and squeezes my arm

" oh aren't you sweet! i'm really not into men anymore,
but if i was "

she kisses the tips of her right fingers and gently
touches them to my face. i wilt like a flower and
weakly say

" well have a nice day "

as she gets out of my car

" thanks again "

she brightly says

" and remember we have to have hope and
hopefulness you know? "

she gets into her car and starts the engine.
i wave and drive off. as i approach venice boulevard
the light changes from green to yellow to red. waiting
behind two men on a motorcycle, i turn on the radio.
a woman is singing in a warm syrupy voice

" ....hidden lies, forbidden fruit, covered eyes, naked truth,
it's so true, nobody loves me in these sour times "